The days to come
by Red Falling-Angel
Summary: Have you ever wondered what would happen between the end and the big deal the wedding. Thought about all the little episodes cute and SO close, that's what this is the inbetween and more. Hope you like it .
1. Recovering

_Thank you Rabid Badger for telling me about a bad error . __  
_

_Disclaimer: No I'm afraid I don't own neither of the Characters, they all belong to Rumiko Takashi (but thank you for asking though.)_

**The days to come**

_**Episode 1: Recovering**_

Akane couldn't believe it nor really understand it. They were running hand in hand towards the school not many days after their failed wedding. Ranma wasn't sure either. It had just been one of those 'out of a moment' things.

Ring ring the sound of a bicycle bell was heard, Akane let go of Ranma's hand and ran a little further ahead giving him the quick message, that they would see each other later.

He just managed to dodge the bike when it came flying for his head "airen go on date with Shampoo yes?" the young purple-haired girl asked enthusiastically.

Ranma bit his lip "uh I can't Shampoo" he said looking slightly over his shoulder to keep an eye on how far ahead Akane was.

"What you have to do?" Shampoo asked investigating him closely.

"Uh…" Ranma said trying to find an excuse "well I have to… Akane's not feeling very well" he noticed that the girl of whom, he was referring to stopped running.

"What you mean?" Shampoo asked looking slightly uncomprehending.

He laughed silly and ran to fetch Akane. Ranma stood in front of Shampoo a few seconds later with a screaming girl under his right arm "look she doesn't look very good does she!?" Akane narrowed her eyes at this announcement.

"So violent girl sick. Why you on your way to school then?" the suspicious girl asked.

Ranma laughed silly "well she's not too sick to go to school… yet. But she needs to be taken care of to get rid of the fever" he said scratching the back of his neck.

Shampoo didn't really look like she believed it but "sound fair enough" noticing the satisfied look on her 'husbands' face, she added "but Shampoo keep good eye on you, when violent girl starts feeling better Shampoo want date with airen" then she was gone.

Ranma let go of his fiancée who fell to the ground, looking a little too pleased with himself, he didn't notice Akane's still narrowed eyes narrowing further.

Neither did he notice the young girl getting up, or the magical hammer appearing in her hand "you idiot" she yelled pounding him to the ground with her hammer.

Then she turned to leave again running towards the school.

He soon got up to follow her "why did you do that? Didn't you hear anything of what just happened?" he asked jumping to run on the fences "Shampoo will be gone for some time, don't you think that's good?" Ranma started to imagine Shampoo leaving for China and didn't notice the backpack that was flying towards his legs.

He stumbled a little on his feet at the impact but was soon up and running again.

"As long as I stay in the house that is," Akane groaned angrily.

Ranma shrugged "yeah well… it's not like you have that many things to do outside the house anyway, I on the other hand-" Akane caught him off with a mischievous laughter.

"You'll have to stay in the house too you know?" she asked smiling evilly.

Ranma was about to protest but realized that she was right; if he stepped out of the house he might risk loosing his cover.

"And take care of me" Akane suddenly added laughing again.

He grumbled, but he could do nothing. Oh well he would just have to sleep through the weekend that was coming up.

They finally reached the high school and ran in only for Mrs. Hinako to send them out in the hall caring water buckets as punishment for being too late.

"This is your entire fault," said the accusing voice of one Akane Tendo.

"Oh yeah how so?" came the retort from the young man with a pigtail also known as Ranma Saotome.

"If you hadn't stopped to chat with Shampoo we would have made it in time" Akane shot back.

"It's not like I want to chat with her, but I can't really do anything 'bout it when she lands on my head" Ranma yelled.

Akane snorted, "you could move out of the way and not stop to wait till she talks," she yelled back.

"That'd be rude," he said after which his eyes grew large, had he just said that. Apparently he had, 'cause his fiancée had started laughing.

Ranma growled turning to look straight ahead pretending not to notice, that Akane was acting like a fine woman.

"Why my good sir may I ask what you would like for dinner tonight?" the sentence broke through his defenses, and he turned to look at her.

"Nothing you cook Tomboy, I'd like to live to see tomorrow" Ranma had narrowed his eyes to prove his point, but defiantly hadn't been expecting her to go ballistic about it.

When Akane was through hammering her fiancée she huffed turned to stand straight, again "idiot" she murmured looking into the wall.

She then shivered the hallway was cold.

They walked home from school in complete silence.

Akane wiped her nose, which had started running (not running away, snot running from her nose you know?) "berfecd" she said finally getting a reaction from Ranma.

"What's 'berfecd'?" Ranma asked.

Akane wiped her nose again, "I didn'd say 'berfecd' I said **berfecd**" but it was useless her nose was stuffed up.

Ranma jumped down from the fence and went to feel her temperature "gees 'kane you're hot, I mean warm -sick" he stepped back to look at her.

"You look like a mess," he said not making her feel any better "let's get you home to bed", he said and started walking.

"Dhen you didn'd lie to Shampoo, now I really am sick" she said and followed him.

Ranma turned to check, that she was still following when he noticed, that she had started wobbling back and forth.

He just managed to catch her as she fainted "'kane? You all right? Akane are you alive? AKANE" his fear increasing with every word.

Ranma did the only thing he could think of and took her to see Dr. Tofu.

He knocked on the door and then entered "hallo Tofu? I got a sick patient here," Ranma yelled carrying the surprisingly light Akane through the door.

The doctor soon came out to meet them "oh my, what happened to her?" he asked the young man holding the unconscious young woman.

Ranma shrugged "I don't really know we were on our way home from school when she started feeling sick and passed out" he said worriedly.

Tofu smiled nodding "were the two of you by any chance out in the hall again holding water buckets?" Ranma nodded a yes.

"Put her on this table please. It could be a cold but I'm afraid she also needs some serious rest," Tofu said clearing the table.

Ranma could feel some sort of unhappy feeling rising while the doctor touched many places on her body, Ranma could only dream that one day he was allowed to touch.

"So is she okay?" Ranma asked.

"It seems that she just needs to sleep. She's got a cold, but I guess the stress of Jusendu, the wedding and all the other stuff was too much" Tofu stepped back to let Ranma pick the girl up again.

"So what do ya want me to do?" Ranma asked.

"Take her home and make sure she gets all the rest she needs" Ranma nodded and started running home with Akane.

­

Ranma put her down in her bed "I'm sorry 'kane I had no idea how it was all affecting you" she snuggled into the duvet in the bed as a reply.

He sighed, "I know I don't always treat you nicely, but I…" his voice trailed off and he found himself looking softly at his fiancée.

Ranma got up and walked down to the living room; he sat down and turned on the TV.

He settled on a cartoon. However, he wasn't really paying attention to it, he was thinking of his discovery not long ago.

Wondering for how long he'd been in love with her "_someday soon Tomboy_" he thought making it clear to himself what he had to do.

"_What if she doesn't feel the same about me?" _he thought fear striking his heart, but then his pride reminded him "_of course she loves me too, who wouldn't?_" he turned his attention back to the TV.

"Ranma?" Kasumi's soft voice sounded from behind him.

"Yeah?" Ranma asked lazily turning around.

"Father, Happosai, Nabiki, your mother, Mr. Saotome and I are on our way out" she said "I heard that Akane was sick and left the two of you a little soup, you just need to warm it up when you want to eat" Kasumi then left with the rest of the family.

Ranma rolled his eyes; they had left the two of them alone again probably hoping for a marriage soon.

About an hour later Ranma walked into the kitchen to warm up the soup.

Akane was sleeping peacefully (for her I guess) when he entered her room with a tray.

"Akane I brought you a little soup please wake up to eat" Ranma said surprised at his own tone of voice.

He sat the tray down on her writing desk and went to sit down besides her.

Ranma did all he could to keep himself from shaking her roughly, as he'd wanted to do for ages. The chance to wake her up as she usually woke him up was too good to be true, he shook his head, but he couldn't she was sick.

He bit his lip and shook her gently "'kane dinner?" she opened her eyes slowly, and adjusted them to the light he'd switched on.

"What happened?" she asked her voice sounding frail, but her nose didn't sound as stuffed up as before.

"You passed out. Dr. Tofu told me, that you need rest, so I just brought you some Miso Soup that Kasumi left behind" Ranma told her and went to get some of the soup for her.

"They left?" Akane asked suspiciously.

He shrugged bringing her a cup of soup "I suppose they hoped we'd fall in love," he said handing it to her.

Akane snorted the best she could and took a sip of her soup "like that'd ever happen" she didn't notice it but a flash of sadness appeared as quickly as it disappeared on Ranma's face.

"Yeah as if" he agreed while turning around to leave, both of them looking unhappy with the whole 'never gonna happen' thing.

She cleared her throat "if you don't mind I would like a little company" she felt a blush rush up to her face, but figured that she could blame it on the hot soup and didn't hide it.

Ranma turned around "well sure if you're okay with it" he said "but are you sure you can rest with me in the room?" he asked.

Akane nodded "why not we don't get a chance to talk very often" Ranma went to sit down on a chair near the bed.

"So what do ya want to talk about?" he asked taking a cup, he didn't remember bringing and poured himself some soup.

She shrugged "I don't know" she said "it's been about a year since we met and… I guess, I would have thought we'd talk more by now" she drank the last few drops of soup and handed it to Ranma.

He nodded "yeah I'd have thought that too, but ya know; with all the people theorizing our life's I suppose it's natural" Ranma took her cup and put it down on the tray.

"You sure you don't want another?" he asked, but she shook her head and he finished drinking his own cup of Miso.

Akane layback down resting her head, Ranma looked at her concerned "ya okay?" he asked.

"Mmmph fine" she groaned and he raised an eyebrow smiling at her.

"You don't sound so good" he said with a little laughter.

Akane turned her head swiftly to look at him "my head hurts and my nose keeps getting stuffed up, but otherwise I'm fine," she said in a huff.

Ranma sighed and put his cup down "it wasn't meant like that, you just look very ill" he said.

"Ranma?" she asked "do you love me?" the question was so out of time and he started spluttering.

"W-w-what do you mean?" he asked making himself ready to run away.

She closed her eyes sighing, "it wasn't that hard a question," she said turning to look at him.

"Look; it's not that I don't it's just that I" Ranma tried to find a way to tell her without really telling her.

"So you do?" she asked looking at him intriguing.

"No. Well I" he looked around himself "I gotta go" he said and dashed the room before she could say another thing.

Akane closed her eyes again "so you don't?" oh well she might as well get some sleep.

­

Ranma hadn't slept much that night "_why didn't I just say it?_" he asked himself.

Standing outside in the garden, he was surprised to see his fiancée walking out of the house wearing her Dou Gi.

"What ya doing out so early 'kane?" he asked not liking that she had gotten out of the bed already.

"I needed something to do, you can't expect me to be lying in my bed all day I'd go nuts," she said wiping her nose.

"But you aren't looking a hell of a lot fresher, you know?" he asked crossing his arms across his stomach.

She looked at him, but didn't stop preparing for a little workout "it's not like you care anyway so butt out" she snapped.

"Akane about that question" Ranma wasn't sure of how he should ever be able to say it, but he tried "I really do, I mean it's not that I don't… I'm scared okay?" there he finally said it (well kinda said it). To his fiancée, who'd fallen asleep standing up?

Ranma cursed but caught her, just before she fell and carried her up to her room. Not having the slightest idea about the sweet dream she was having, where her knight (surprise, surprise) Ranma was telling her that even though, their fathers couldn't get along, he loved her and wanted to marry her.

He blushed slightly as she curled up to him whispering, "I love you my knight". He tucked her in her bed with her Dou Gi still on; it would only be half as bad if she got mad at him for putting her to bed with clothes on, on the contrary to the pyramid it would start if he took her clothes off and she got mad at him for being a 'pervert'.

Ranma smiled at her before leaving and closing the door "sleep tight 'kane, he said and then he was gone.

It was Monday and the two were running to school holding hands again.

Ring ring Ranma groaned and just barely dodged the bicycle which was heading for his head.

"See you later Ranma" Akane called running further ahead repeating the same pattern.

Once again, Ranma was left to figure an excuse to get rid of the Amazon "I got to… well I gotta… I promised to help Akane improve her cooking" the minute the words had left his mouth he realized that this week would be full of stomachaches.

**A/N: **

One day I was thinking, what would happen now? That's when I realized that all the little stories from when the real story ends to where they actually get together are just as interesting as the big thing (the kiss, the marriage, what ever).

This is actually only the start of my epilogue, which continues from where the real story ended; I hope you like the first episode (and found it likable to have happened in the real series).

Any ideas, well I do already have ideas to the next story, but what would you like. Should Akane teach how to swim? Should she figure out that Ryouga equals P-Chan?

Should Ranma get rid of his curse? What?

Ps. If you don't review I'll have my bloodthirsty flying hedgehog haunt you down, a present once given to me from a reviewer (thank you Stuntcat a very useful gift indeed).


	2. The joy of cooking

**The Days to Come**

_Chapter two: **The Joy of Cooking**_

Ranma had been dreading this day ever since he spit out the words; "I promised to help Akane improve her cooking".

He moaned in despair but decided that the sooner he got it done the better; at least he wasn't the only one who'd suffer. As he turned around the door opened suddenly hitting him in the head.

"Oh my" came the not so surprising respond from Kasumi.

"Sorry my boy; but we were on our way out to this new hot-spring source" Ranma's father, Genma pronounced.

"But it is not new Mr. Saotome" Kasumi said.

"Ha ha, don't listen to her. You two have fun, we'll probably be gone for about a week," Soun said and then they were off.

"Oh so you leave me to die alone do you?" Ranma asked no one in particular.

"What are you talking about?" Happosai asked suddenly standing behind Ranma.

The young man looked down at the little, extremely small man getting an idea "what would you say if I agreed to wear panties and a bra?" Happosai nodded eagerly already on his way to retrieve the water when Ranma grabbed him. "All you have to do is agree on one teeny-weeny little thing" the small man nodded and Ranma smiled evilly. "Great then that's settled you eat Akane's food for the next week" Ranma noticed the terrified look on the old man's face.

"You would fool me into certain death?" Happosai asked stunned "how could you?" he asked running out of there tears flowing from his eyes. Ranma sighed all alone again.

"Uh teacher?" came a feminine voice from behind him "want to get started?" she asked.

Ranma turned to look at her completely, he nodded and they walked into the kitchen.

"The first thing you never do is just put something in without looking at it first. It's simply, like crossing the road; you start by looking at the recipe" Ranma looked at it "we need rice. Then you take the rice; look carefully at the rice, then the recipe and the rice again. When you're one hundred percent sure that it should be in there you pour it in, like so."

Akane nodded smiling; she was listening closely to every word he said. It had taken some time to get over the fact; that he, a boy was going to teach her, a girl how to cook.

However, there had been more upsides than downsides about letting Ranma teach her the art of cooking. Number one: they were actually not fighting for once, number two: they were actually alone and the last but not least number tree: she was learning how to cook.

"Then we need the vegetables" Ranma said giving her a carving board and a knife.

Akane started slashing the vegetables along with the wooden board, Ranma raised his hands "wow, wow not that harsh" he went to take her hand "do it slowly; there's no rush" he started moving her hand slowly down to the vegetables "almost like sen…" stopping short he almost jumped back.

Looking away he cleared his throat "just don't go too wildly about it," he said.

Akane giggled and looked away from the vegetables for a second "ouch" she screamed as the knife hit her finger.

He looked at her "what happened?" he asked.

Akane who was sucking on her thumb to stop the blood took it out of her mouth "I cut myself" then she started wailing, "I'll never learn how to cook".

"Gosh you're really clumsy 'kane" he said.

Akane started pouting a hammer appearing in her left hand; Ranma looked frightened for a minute then crooked a compassionate smile "maybe we should stop for today. We'll just take it slow".

She looked at bit surprised the hammer disappearing from her hands "but we need to eat" she said.

"Let's go to Uchan's" noticing her look Ranma scratched the back of his neck "my treat", he offered.

Akane sighed but nodded "okay, but tomorrow I want to make the dinner" she said.

Ranma was already on his way out of the house, and Akane had to quicken up her pace to follow.

………………………………...

They had stopped in front of Uchan's.

"Closed?" Ranma questioned.

Akane nodded "looks like it" she said reading the sign again.

**Went to Yamato**

**Come back Friday next week**

Ranma shrugged "that explains why we haven't seen Ukyou for a while" he said.

"Then what'll we eat?" she asked looking as if she was on the verge of despair.

He turned around "we could always try that restaurant" he said pointing at a place across the road.

"Doesn't it look a little expensive?" Akane asked.

Ranma considered it for a second "yeah but the only other option we have is Shampoo's" she made a face but nodded, and they moved to walk across the street.

They entered the restaurant and Akane felt out of place "Ranma I'm not dressed for this," she said.

However, some of the staff looked at them and sooner than they could react; Ranma was dressed in a navy blue tuxedo and Akane was dressed in a dark purple sleeveless dress.

Ranma looked at his fiancée; she did have some cleavage and her curves were reasonably good. Blushing at his own trail of thoughts, he stumbled off to their table.

"So uh" he said blushing like crazy "what do you want to eat?" he asked taking the menu up to cover his red cheeks.

Akane looked at the food "Ranma everything costs about 10.000 yen can you afford that?" she asked.

He shrugged "probably not" he took his wallet up "could I maybe borrow a little?" he asked sweat dropping.

"Typical" Akane said scowling at him, she breathed a long resigned breath then answered "yeah fine".

The waiter approached the two "what would you like to drink?" he asked.

Ranma looked at the menu again "well I'm not usually much of a Saké drinker but we've got something to celebrate" he said smiling brightly.

None of them was old enough to drink, but they sure did look old enough in the garment they were wearing.

The waiter nodded "oh I see; you just got engaged" both of them spluttered and synchronously yelled, "we're not a couple" the waiter apologist for assuming so.

"What would you like to drink miss?" the waiter asked Akane.

She shrugged "I never tried Saké before but bring it on" the waiter nodded.

"And what would you like to eat?" the waiter asked Ranma.

Ranma looked at the menu again "sushi sounds good, number 3" the waiter nodded and wrote on a little note.

"And you miss" he asked Akane, who thought for a second then ordered the same as Ranma. The waiter then left the two of them alone.

"How much money do you have?" Akane asked taking her wallet up to look at it.

Ranma counted his money "50.000 yen" he said and Akane nodded.

"That should cover it," she said handing him 15.000 yen.

He looked around himself "this is a really nice place," he said.

Akane nodded "yup not like the places we usually go to" then she folded her hands. "So" she started, making the young martial artist worried "um…" she looked down her hands.

Ranma looked equally nervous, and they were both startled as the waiter came back with the bottle of Saké and two glasses.

The waiter let Ranma have a sip, before he poured some wine for the both of them "would it be very rude of me to ask what the two of you are celebrating?" the waiter asked.

Ranma shrugged and said "I suppose not" and Akane took over "we're celebrating that…" she looked at Ranma who continued, "We're celebrating the dawning of a new age" the waiter nodded and left the two again.

"The dawning of a new age?" she asked questioning.

Ranma snorted, "Yeah well what should I have said? That we're celebrating some free time from our parents?" he asked.

Akane emptied her glass in a swift move and poured herself some more.

"You trying to kill yourself?" Ranma asked.

"No I'm… well I" she emptied another glass and poured some more.

Ranma took the bottle out of her hands "you'll pass out if you don't slow down" she looked at him, made a little hiccup and put down her glass.

The food was served quickly and they started eating.

Akane looked at her fiancée "you know this is really nice," she said.

Ranma said something, which she couldn't quite understand since his mouth was stuffed with food.

They put down their chopsticks and Ranma emptied his glass.

The night went on with a little small talk, but as the night went to the end, they were beginning to feel a little dizzy.

"Ya know" Ranma said wobbling back and forth "that time at Jusendyou I really thought you had died".

She looked sad "I'm sorry," she said "but **I** didn't bring the picture of me to China," she then added.

"Neither did I" Ranma shot back coldly.

"I understood that already," she said in a huff.

"But" he said continuing his sentence "you did save me once over there" he looked up to remember seeing her face from the darkness.

Akane looked surprised "I did?" she asked.

Ranma nodded and drank the last contents of his glass "yeah but then you actually showed up" he added.

She too drank the last contains of her glass "do you maybe ever want to marry me?" she asked then quickly added, "I mean it's not, that I want to. I'm just asking if you ever would." Akane looked closely at him.

"Fat chance" he said contrary to what he was thinking.

Akane emptied another glass "it's not like I would want to either" she said, then thought for a second "but why are we still engaged then?" she asked.

Ranma's eyes widened "I don't know, I never really thought about that" he too emptied another glass "why haven't you ended it then?" he asked.

She frowned "why do **I **have to do that? Why haven't **you** done it already?" she asked.

"Why should **I**?" he asked.

Akane frowned a little more "well duh because you don't want to marry me" she said.

"Well **you** don't want to marry **me **either, you should do it," Ranma said.

Rolling her eyes she emptied another glass "if **you** don't want to marry **me**, and **I **don't want to marry **you,** then why don't we just drop this whole engagement already?" she asked.

Ranma didn't really approve the turn of the conversation "do we really have to?" he asked emptying 2 or 3 glasses of saké.

Akane raised an eyebrow "yeah if you don't love me and I don't- well…" she then grabbed the newly opened bottle of saké and started drinking from it.

He grabbed the bottle out of her hand "don't do that" he said and started drinking from it himself.

"Why is it okay that you do it but not me?" Akane asked.

"Excuse Me," the waiter said standing behind them. "I just realized that I didn't even ask for ID" Ranma shrugged and threw some money at him.

"Never mind we were on our way out of here" he said and stood up the bottle of wine still in his hand.

Akane was already on her way out of there still wearing the dress, the waiter followed behind them "excuse me" he yelled catching up with them "you can't take off with our wardrobe and I really need to see some ID" the waiter said.

Akane turned swiftly around and started taking off her dress "we're 17 okay? And here's your stupid dress. Can I go now?" it was dark so you could only see her figure but that was enough for the waiter to start a nosebleed.

Ranma himself stared, but then he took his coat and his pants of "pervert" he muttered as he started running Akane hanging under his arm.

………………………………...

Finally home Ranma put her down "what did you do that for idiot?" he yelled in rage.

She snorted, "Oh come on as if you don't know" Ranma quickly looked away blushing as she turned on the light.

"What is it that I should know?" he asked still angry at her for acting that stupid "and would you please put some clothes on, or at least cover your body a little?!" he sort of asked ordered.

Akane suddenly noticed that she was wearing absolutely nothing but knickers, "why you pervert," she yelled slapping him.

She then marched off to her room, Ranma waited for a second before following "oh and why am I the pervert huh? You were the one stripping in public," he told her from outside her door.

Suddenly her door went up "you weren't much better yourself," she said looking down to where he was only wearing underpants.

Ranma blushed, but then she really surprised him with laughter. He looked up to face her "what's so funny?" he asked eying her.

"Everything" she said in between laughs "you me running pretty much naked through Nerima" Ranma started laughing as well.

"Yeah and the ending of our engagement. I mean where that idea came from?" he gasped out in between laughs.

Akane stopped laughing the minute the words had left his mouth "it wasn't a joke Ranma," she said.

He looked at her shocked "you meant it?" he asked sort of stating it.

She nodded "yeah… I mean if you don't love me, there's really no reason" she looked down feeling sad all of the sudden.

"But I don't wanna break up" Ranma said pouting.

Akane turned so he couldn't see her sad face "don't worry I won't tell daddy just yet; you, your father and your mother can still stay here we just won't be engaged no more" but as she closed the door Ranma suddenly stopped it from closing completely.

"Cut the crap," he hissed.

She looked at him tears in her eyes "but if you don't love me there's no reason, I'm actually doing you a favor".

He let his hand caress her face "but that's where you're wrong. I do love you" his own eyes widened he had finally gotten the courage to say it and she was… she was sleeping?!

Ranma groaned and dragged her to the bed "that's the second time you do this Tomboy" he then crooked a smile "but I still… I'll tell you sometime when you're awake" he then dragged the duvet up to cover her.

He left the room and shut off the light going to bed.

………………………………...

**A/N: **Don't complain about the drinking thing, I realized that they weren't old enough to drink a little late. However, I would have lost the point of the story by cutting it off, so don't yell.

Had you there didn't I; "you're wrong. I do love you"? Yeah well, I figured a little rice-wine would make him brave enough to tell, but I had to make sure that she didn't here it.

Anyway, hope you like it! Review or I'll have my little bloodthirsty pet hunt you down

Ps. I need ideas for the next chapter!


	3. Everything returns to normal

**Attention if you read chapter 3 before, read it again. I rewrote the story, it is not the same conflict anymore. Please re-read, you'll get confused later on if you don't!**

**A/N: **Anyone interested in pre-reading my stories? Uh… please???

Disclaimer: Never have, never will (own the characters I mean).

………………………………...

**The Days to come **

_**Episode 3: Everything returns to 'normal'**_

Ranma finished his last bite. "Not as bad as it used to be. It is almost eatable" he stated, as he put down his chopsticks and lifted his glass.

Akane was staring at him. "Really?" she asked.

He nodded a couple of times. "Sure" then he drank the last water in his glass.

She was jumping and smiling all over. Ranma smiled softly shaking his head lightly. "Does it really matter **that **much what I think?" he asked.

Akane stopped her happy dance to look at him. "Well yeah" she said. Hearing her own words repeatedly, her eyes widened and she quickly started to clear the table.

"Why?" The simple question from the black haired boy came.

She stumbled almost dropping the plates. "Uh… well" she swallowed the lump in her throat and almost ran to the kitchen.

Ranma strolled after her, carrying the glasses. "Is it because you consider me to be your future husband?" he asked with a smirk.

Akane blushed like crazy and coughed a little. "I… I don't know," she said as she started to clear the plates.

He face faulted, not receiving the answer he had expected.

He walked back into the living room, to fetch the rest of the things.

"Hi there Ran-Chan" Ukyou's voice suddenly sounded, making Ranma jump back in shock.

He turned slowly around to face her. "Hi Ukyou" he said cursing her for showing up just now, when everything was so functional between Akane and he.

Ranma put the things back onto the table sighing.

"So… how was Yamato?" he asked, with no real interest (but there was no reason to start a fight with Ukyou).

Ukyou looked a little surprised at his tone of voice. "Great. I earned a lot of money" her voice was very monotonously and Ranma started laughing silly.

"I better take these out to Akane," he said looking at the things still stacked on the table.

Ukyou crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you two start getting along?" she asked.

Ranma scratched his chin. "Oh, uh… we're not getting along" he said lamely.

His eyes shifted quickly to avoid her gaze. "I mean she'll mallet me if I don't help". He nodded a little at the somewhat reasonable sentence.

"Yeah… you're probably right Ran-Chan," Ukyou said, casting a glimpse at the little leftovers.

"Who in the world cooked this?" She asked, sure that it could not be the little Tendo (who could not cook), who cooked it.

However, her fears came to be true when Ranma 'proudly' announced "Akane".

Ukyou nodded cursing in her head. "_Mother F… now she can cook too? Crap, how the f… am I supposed to get Ran-Chan now? Well okay, undoubtedly I'd much rather have him choose Akane than that bimbo or that psycho"._

"The weather?" Ranma asked, sounding like he had repeated himself several times.

"Weather?" Ukyou asked wonderingly.

"Yeah, how was the weather?" Ranma asked yet again, must have been the forth or fifth time he asked the same question.

"Oh fine, fine" she said, trying to figure out how the conversation had ended, on something with the weather.

"Really? I heard that there was a storm in Yamato?" Ranma said raising an eyebrow.

Ukyou sweat dropped, and was about to defend herself with, 'that because of the storm she'd had a lot of customers'.

When:

Ring Ring "Nihao airen"

Ranma did not even have to look, to figure out whom had just crashed through the wall.

"Oh hohohohoho" And a bunch of roses flew through a window.

Neither did he have to look, to figure out who had thrown the roses, poisoned black roses, through the window.

The door went up. "We're home" Kasumi's gentle voice filled the house.

The old pervert splashed Ranma with cold water, only so that T. Kuno could grope him.

Ranma could have cried, had it not been very unmanly. "_A minute of sunshine and then it rains down on you_" he thought, while knocking T. Kuno out, sending the old pervert up in the night sky and pouring hot water on himself.

"Ranma try rámen yes?" Shampoo asked.

"No Ranma-darling is going to eat my cookies," K. Kuno said.

You know how it is to feel surrounded, and to feel that you are drowning in a swarm of yapping people? Well that was how Ranma felt right now.

"So did you make any progress with Akane?" Genma asked, actually referring to her cooking abilities.

"**STOP**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Everyone became silent.

Ranma looked at all the people and felt nauseous. Not because they nauseated him, well most of them did not. Nevertheless, they were all stressing him, and that made him feel nauseous.

Ranma stomped out of the house, in need of fresh air.

Slowly Shampoo, Kodachi, Tatewaki and Ukyou left the house as well.

Akane, who had been doing the dishes in the kitchen, came dancingly into the dining room, only to stop dead track and sweat drop.

"Oi" she greeted them, looking down herself.

"Akane did you cook this?" Soun, her father asked.

She nodded, and Soun began wailing. "My daughter is cured, my youngest can cook!" He yelled happily out to the streets of Nerima.

"Um… Not quite yet, dad. I mean, I am not a brilliant cook, yet. Nevertheless, I will be. With training, lots and lots of training" Akane stated.

Kasumi looked in the direction, which Ranma had taken. "Akane sweetie, how would you like to go talk to Ranma?"

Akane raised an eyebrow. "Why did anything happen?" she asked.

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "You didn't here his yell? Typical! Let's just say he's stressing" she said, then started shoving her little sister out the door.

………………………………...

Akane soon found herself out in the backyard of the Tendo household.

"Ranma?" She asked, or maybe actually more like murmured.

"_Baka. Where did you go?_" She thought, not really in the mood to start searching for her missing fiancée.

"Kane" came a silent voice from behind her.

Akane turned but could not see him. "Ranma where are you?" She asked, a little louder.

"Up here" he said.

She looked up at the roof of the house. "What are you doing up there?" She asked.

Ranma shrugged. "Thinking" he said plainly, and then added, "wanna come up?"

Akane bit her lip, looking up the 5 to 10 meters there was, between the ground and the roof. "How am I supposed to get up there?" She asked.

He crawled to the end of the roof, and stretched his arm. "I'll help ya," he said, smiling gently.

She just barely resisted a giggle, but went to accept his hand.

Finally, on the roof, they both lied down on their backs.

"I'm sorry," Ranma said, surprising Akane, he was not usually one to apologize.

"What for?" She asked turning to look at him.

"For all this mess. For, well for everything I ever said that hurt you". He turned to face her. "For messing up your perfect life".

Akane looked surprised. "You didn't completely mess up my life, you… you made it more interesting. Besides my life wasn't perfect before you came, admitted it's not perfect now, but whatever happens it's been fun, most of the time" she said with a smile.

He sighed. "Do you still want to end this engagement?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

Ranma turned back so that he was not facing her no more. "Remember our night out, just about a week ago?" Akane nodded and he continued. "Well… You asked me a question back then" he then stopped, what was he doing he did not want them to start that conversation up again.

She waited for him to continue, for a while, but she did not want to push him, obviously, the question had hurt him. "Why are you still thinking about it? It's been a week, and I don't even remember the question".

He turned to look at her again. "Really?"

"Mhm" Akane then pressed her finger to his nose. "So stop thinking about it silly".

Ranma smiled. "_And after rain comes the sun_".

They both looked up at the sudden thunder burst, and Ranma sweat dropped as water came rushing down from up above.

"Why not" he muttered.

Akane started laughing, and Ranma turned to look angrily at her.

"Oh come on, its a little funny," she said giving him a gentle push.

The martial artist narrowed his eyebrows, in a way that told her that he was in the game.

………………………………...

The young couple walked into the house laughing.

"Now that is what I like to see," Soun said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Sure is Tendo. Looks like our children are finally getting a long" Genma nodded.

Akane looked at Ranma, and visa versa and they both started laughing harder.

"What did I say?" Genma asked.

Nabiki smiled her normal evil smile. "Nothing, absolutely nothing" she laughed.

Kasumi smiled, shaking her head. "Oh these two, I'll never figure them out". Then Kasumi took whatever the youngest occupiers had left on the table, and walked to the kitchen with it.

………………………………...

"Did you see the look on their faces?" Ranma asked laughing.

Akane nodded, and then stopped laughing, as well as walking. "Uh… thank you for last week," she said turning to open her door.

Ranma nodded. "You're welcome," he said. Then he started scratching the back of his neck nervously. "You know, it's not that late yet…" he said avoiding her gaze.

Akane smiled. "You're right. Um… do you maybe want to come in?" she asked motioning to her room.

He blushed, just about, as much as she did, which was a lot. "Y-y-yes, w-why not" he said and was about to enter, when her hand stopped him.

"You have to promise that you won't try anything" she said, her eyes serious as ever.

"Why should I?" He asked, making his way into her room underneath her arm.

Akane turned too look at him mischievously.

They both sat down on her bed, and they both kept their eyes focused on the wall.

"So…" Ranma said.

"So…" Akane answered.

Then she shivered, and realized that they were still wearing the wet clothes.

Ranma noticed too, and he stood up. "Maybe you should go take a shower, so you don't get sick," he said.

Akane stood up. "Nah, I don't need a shower as much as you do; Ran-Chan" she smiled and motioned for him to look down himself, or herself…

"Crap" Ranma cursed. "I totally forgot. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

Akane shrugged. "I feel safer when you're a girl," she said.

Ranma looked surprised. "But I would never hurt you, you know that, right?"

She smiled and shoved him out the door. "Yeah, I know… but, you know me" she gave him a brilliant smile just before shutting her door.

Well almost shutting, just as she turned around about to undress, a towel hit her in the head.

"At least dry your hair" came the female call, from down the hall.

Akane laughed and closed her door for good, rolling her eyes she smiled at the door, in the direction of the showers.

She started drying her hair, laughing silently to herself. "_Thanks Ranma. You really care do you not? I mean, I understand that you protect me because of your martial honor. However, you still helped me get P-Chan back from that wicked ice-skating bitch. Moreover, you did defend me, when those Pom-Pom girls defeated my Team. _

_Kami-Sama, why did you send Ranma to me? I would have been fine without a boyfriend, and then you send me a Fiancée? Kami, what have I ever done to you?_"

When someone knocked at her door, Akane was forced back to reality.

"Who is it?" Akane called, tying the towel around her head in a turban.

"Nabiki" came the answer.

"Come on in" Akane called as she started to find new, dry clothes for herself.

"Akane, are you and Ranma…?" Nabiki asked taking out her tape recorder.

Akane rolled her eyes. "No. If that was what you wanted, maybe you could leave so that I can change my clothes".

Nabiki did not exactly leave; she sat down on Akane's bed. "Why not?" asked the middle Tendo sister.

"Why not, what?" Akane asked annoyed.

"Why aren't you an item?" Nabiki asked looking sincere for once.

Akane spluttered. "Why would I want to be an item with that idiot?" She asked in a huff.

Nabiki crooked a smile. "Maybe because you love him," Akane's reactions made Nabiki continue. "You looove him don't ya? You wuv him sooo much" Nabiki said just before Akane threw her out the door.

"You shouldn't talk about the things that you know nothing about," the youngest resident of the Tendo home said angrily.

"Akane just before you close the door, I found this little black patch of fur outside. Thought you might know it" Nabiki threw the little piglet into Akane's arms, and turned to walk down stairs again.

Akane shrieked "P-Chan" after which she quickly went into her room, closing her door.

………………………………...

Ranma knocked on Akane's door. "'You decent?" He asked.

"Mhm" came an answer "come on in" it continued.

Ranma opened the door. Akane was sitting on her bed with P-Chan in her lap.

"Look who joined us" she said happily petting P-Chan.

He looked at the little black _'thing' _in Akane's lap. "_You should only know,_" he thought looking unpleasantly at the piglet.

Akane who was oblivious to what went on between her fiancée and her pet, lay back down on her bed.

"Wonderful evening" she commented closing her eyes.

Ranma took the little piglet into his arms. "I think he needs a shower," he said.

The little piglet looked frightened at him, afraid of Ranma's plans.

"Yeah maybe" Akane looked up at her pet pig. Just as she was about to get up, Ranma pushed her back down again.

"Don't you worry about it, I'll take him. P-Chan and I need to discuss some things". He was out of her room in a rush.

Akane shook her head; discuss things with a pig… baka.

………………………………...

Ranma dumped the little pig in the bathtub. "What is your problems man? Akane and I were finally getting along, and then you come to mess it all up".

Ryouga jumped out of the shower, to rap himself in a towel. "You're afraid of a little competition aren't you?" the lost boy asked.

Ranma stood up too. "Competition? More like cheating you asshole," he said, and then they took fighting stands.

Unfortunately, when Ryouga attacked, he slipped in some soap. In the end, in some kind of twisted faith, they ended up with Ranma on top of the naked Ryouga, just in time for Akane to waltz in.

………………………………...

**A/N:** So I decided to change the chapter, well I think that it made a funny twist, and I will still have Ryouga as a future rival.

What do you think? Lame, damn right. Funny, well a little. Cute, maybe. More likable, sure as hell.

Review or my bloodthirsty hedgehog, Fluffy will hunt you down.

Mwahahahaha you have been warned.


	4. Christmas time

I apologies for the delay. Nevertheless you should not be mad; this is a 17 (at least on my cp) pages long story.

I wish you all a merry Christmas .

Welcome, sit down relax have a snack and please enjoy yourself, this is an extra long special, (we are in December and when else to put in a Christmas special .-).

However, before we go on with the story I would like to give my reviewers a little present (imaginary presents):

JWG: I want to say thank you for trying to help me. You could always copy one of the chapters (chapter 3 for example) and then mail it back to me; I will give you my email address if you decide to try. That way I will have the chance to decide if I want to use your chapters instead of my own .- But now for your present, I am giving you a stick to slap me with when I make mistakes. Heh .'

Thereviewergirl: Such compliments to give. Heh heh "thank you, thank you. Oh stop it's too much" (bows while blushing). Ahem sorry, um here you go a bottle of Sake, oh you do not drink? Well okay then here is a flying horse, a flesh eating Pegasus really. He is a wonderful pet and a great way to get people to review! . Hope you enjoy.

MingShun: Um sorry but I am not sure if you turned in on the wrong story. I would love to perform your wishes, had it not been that I am a very big fan of the Ranma + Akane relationship. Nevertheless, you still get a present. So here you go, a baby hedgehog thought you might take good care of him.

Gort420: Well thank you; it is always nice to get flattered. Now I did not really know what to buy for you so um Merry Christmas and um… enjoy your turtle. He is actually very sweet, a fast swimmer and he will do whatever you want him to do.

Excel: Thanks I guess, well merry Christmas and remember the chocolate box will refill itself once you are done with it, so do not throw it out.

Rabid Badger: Thank you for explaining the difference between a kimono and a Dou Gi, it would have gotten embarrassing along the way. So for your Christmas present I bought you a brand new Kimono of your own (holds up the kimono) I didn't really know what color you like so I just bought one in blue. You can never go wrong with blue, can you now?

Now enjoy

**The Days to come**

**Chapter four, a Christmas special**

_**Christmas time**_

_Forgive me_

Kasumi was sweeping the floor, singing a little Christmas tune. "Because of gentleness I love you, always near you it hurts to be". She sighed happily; Christmas was without a doubt her favorite time of the year.

(A/N: I did not write the song. DoCo Second image song (1994) in Japanese: Kiyoku Tadashii KURISUMASU in English: A Pure and Honest Christmas)

Ranma meanwhile hid a gift properly under his pillow; no one would search for it there, he hoped.

It was not that big a gift, but he did hope that she would accept it. Not that he really cared. However, what was he supposed to do with it if she did not want it?

He had just gotten her a gift, because of the circus it would start if he did not. Of course, there would be a circus along with the gift. However, raging lunatics would be as a piece of cake compared to the rage of the Tendo's, his father and his mother (especially his mother).

He was sure; she would appreciate it, if she ever decided to forgive him. She had been furious with him. Beating him, with whatever she could find. Ranma shivered and cursed Ryouga.

He then jumped up, when the door to his father's and his room suddenly opened.

Nabiki rolled in. "So have you decided if you want to borrow money for Akane's present or not?" she asked.

He looked at his pillow quickly, before turning to look at her again. "I don't intend on giving her a gift," he said coldly.

Nabiki nodded. "Oh I see" then she turned, but did not leave without giving him a devilish smile.

Ranma coughed searching for any other excuse; she could under no circumstances figure out that he had already bought the present. If she did figure it out, the present would not be safe, no matter where he hid it.

"I plan on telling Akane my true feelings as a present instead of buying her something" it was a right out lie, and a bad one at that.

He sweat dropped as her evil smile only broadened. That had to be the simple, most stupid thing he had ever said.

However, before he even got the chance to change his explanation, Nabiki had already run out with a yen sign in her eyes. All he could do now, to soften the results; was to tell Akane about the 'misunderstanding' before the new rumor caught up with her.

How exactly he was to tell her about the lie was still a mystery (A/N: hell I cannot even explain it).

…………………………………………………………………………………………..………………...

Ranma sat down exhausted; he had been searching for a while with no signs of her.

To make the whole thing more exhausting he had run into Shampoo, Ukyou, Kodachi, Tatewaki and Ryouga, who had all heard the rumor. It had taken a while explaining the story.

Ranma leaned his back against a stone, wondering where she could have gone off to.

"Ranma?" he looked up to se who had come to torture him now, but breathed a relived sigh when Akane's figure formed in front of him.

"Geez 'Kane where did you run off to? I've been trying to find you for the last hour," he said angrily.

Then he cleared his throat "uh, have you heard the rumor about me wanting to tell you my true feelings as a Christmas present?" She nodded enthusiastic, and Ranma started waving his hands obviously embarrassed "well it's a lie".

She then nodded sadly, she had already figured that out herself but had still hoped that maybe…

Ranma did not notice her saddened look, and raised an eyebrow at her bags. "You've been shopping?" he asked pointing to them.

"Just buying a few Christmas presents," she said sadly.

Ranma then finally saw her disappointment "do you want me to tell you how I really feel?" he asked surprised.

Akane made a face "duh" she said and turned to leave.

He started blushing "well okay I'll try uh".

He followed her without looking at her.

"Um do you think you might forgive me soon?" he asked jumping to walk on the fence.

She sighed turning a corner "I don't know, but if it makes you happy I bought you a present" she then paused for a minute, before reassuring him that she did not expect anything in return.

Ranma looked down sadly, "…" he closed his eyes sighing deeply "I hope you forgive me sometime soon".

Then he suddenly looked up "the day you decide to forgive me, that day I'll do the best I can to tell you how I truly feel about you, about us" he looked at her catching her eyes in his for a second.

"Fine" she snarled then walked into the Tendo household with Ranma close in her steps.

Ranma followed her to the stairs where he stopped "so does that mean that you'll forgive me?" he asked.

Akane snorted mockingly "what do you think?" she asked sticking out her tongue at him.

He turned swiftly "you're so not cute Tomboy" he snorted back at her. Then he left not noticing the hurt look on her face.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Akane dumped her backs to the floor sighing deeply. She had wowed to herself not to forgive him until he at least apologized. Moreover, his question if she would ever forgive him did not count as an apology.

Akane sat down in her chair by the desk. She looked up to see the picture that he had given her last Christmas. Then took it down, to place it head down on her desk. She huffed, but then sighed turning it around so the picture was showing. She had to admit that it was not so much Ranma that she was angry with as it was herself.

Akane looked grumpily out the window. Why had she ever let him get to her? Never before had she let any boy get close enough to hurt her. In addition, he did not even realize that every insult was hurting her the way they were.

She turned to look at her door; she had half expected him to be knocking on it by now. You could never count on Ranma to do anything, now could you? She turned again and dropped her head to the table, only to look up again at noises from the backyard. She stood up to peek out of the window.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ranma was busy molesting a three, no one really knew what the tree had done but apparently, it was something bad.

He kicked it again causing the tree to split in two. "_Look at me, look at me, I'm Akane. The insensitive violent idiot Akane_" he thought as he began breaking the tree into tiny pieces.

Ranma looked up at her room noticing a figure quickly disappearing. "_What do you want me to do? You want me to apologize for something that wasn't my fault at all? Well that is just stupid," _he thought looking at her window.

"_I can't tell you that I love you when you hate me" _he sighed and threw the tree or whatever little splinters that was left away.

"_No I have to stop denying it_" he thought, looking at her window again.

Then he jumped, to her window "_okay I'll take the first step but she better not be expecting me to be all sorry_. _It was not like I wanted to cuddle with him like that_" he swallowed the lump in his throat and knocked on her window.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_The incident_

Akane who was hiding against the wall, turned to see what was knocking on her window.

Not completely surprised to see Ranma, she opened the window.

"What do you want?" she asked, already putting on a fierce attitude.

He rolled his eyes "would you at least let me say a word before you yell at me?" he asked jumping into her room.

"Look I do not know what you want, but if you came to plead for my forgiveness again, you might as well leave now, save both of us the time" she huffed angrily.

Ranma snorted "what do you want me to do?" he asked taking a step towards her.

"An apology would be nice," she said taking a step back.

He made a face, and took a step further towards her, after which she took another step back.

"Apology?" he crossed his arms "you want me to apologies for landing on top of Ryouga, in the middle of a fight?" he asked.

Akane took a step towards him "no I want you to apologies for…" Inside she wanted to scream, that she wanted him to apologize for hurting her, but outside she new that he would just mock her.

Ranma raised an eyebrow "for…?" he asked mockingly.

She looked up at him "for… for betraying me the way you did" she yelled raising her hand to slap him.

He smiled a little, grabbed her hand and forced her to look at him "I'm sorry if I hurt you" he said giving her his very best look. (A/N: Oooh .- I'm fainting)

Akane blushed and quickly broke free "fine… you're forgiven," she said looking rather exhausted .

Then she realized something, she remembered the little thing he had promised her earlier that day.

"Oh Ranma…" she said, making him jump back at her seductive tone of voice.

"Wh-what?" he asked blushing.

She smiled evilly, "you promised me something," she said batting her eyelashes in a mocking way.

He sweat dropped. "Crap" he cursed.

"Um… you know I need a little time to prepare this".

She rolled her eyes resignedly, which made Ranma bite his lip; thinking fast had never been his favorite thing to do. "Give me until the dance" he said at last, giving her half a smile.

"What dance?" she asked.

Ranma started laughing nervously "you now that Christmas party like thing the school is gonna hold?" She nodded remembering.

He walked closer towards her, trapping her against the wall and his arms, which were leaning against the wall on both sides of her.

He smirked "I will try my very best not to mess this up" he promised in a deep sort of voice, while letting his hand slide through her hair.

Akane blushed and tried to move away, but with her back against the wall, and in between his arms, there really was no escape.

He knew that this was a very bad idea, seeing how both of their lives would be in jeopardy, but he just could not stop.

She gasped, as she felt his hot breath nearing her face. She shot her eyes close and half-wished for him to stop, but her body refused to push him away.

"Okay here he comes," she thought scarred, but pouted her lips non the way.

"Yo Akane?" Nabiki asked throwing Akane's door open.

Faster than a lightening the two of them jumped apart, blushing like mad.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow "what is going on in here?" she asked, an evil smile spreading on her face. "Don't let me stop you," she said while taking out her camera.

Akane was pushing Ranma quickly out the door. Just outside her door he turned to give her a look, that said 'until next time', which made her blush, if possible, more than she had just seconds ago.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ranma would have been jumping around singing from joy, had it not been that, that was a very unmanly thing to do.

However, he could not hold it inside anymore and jumped, barely avoiding the flying bicycle, Shampoo crashed into the wall of the building right behind him.

Then he twirled around and avoided a bush full of black, possible, poisoned roses.

Then realized that he was acting very unmanly, and quickly turned back to his normal stroll.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ranma was walking with no real destination. Nevertheless, he did not really care, for the weather was great, for December that is, and he had never felt this happy, not as far as his memory went anyway.

He smiled and closed his eyes, taking in a long relaxing breath of the cold winter air.

As he opened his eyes again, he caught the view of something that looked like a spatula. Nevertheless, he reacted a little too late, before he managed to move, the spatula hit him in the face, sending him down to lie flat on the ground.

"Watch where you're going Ran-Chan" Ukyou said helping him up again.

Ranma blushed and laughed nervously "uh, I'm sorry Ukyou. Must have missed you there" he scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, and thought about running away.

"Why are you so gloomy?" she asked him with a firm look on her face.

He started laughing more strained. "Me? Am I gloomy? What are you talking about?" he asked avoiding her gaze.

Ukyou narrowed her eyes, and brought her spatula to a threatening hold. "You were looking all happy, before you walked into my spatula. Did anything interesting happen?" she asked with her spatula dangling dangerously above his head.

Ranma looked up to see it, laughed a little and then… he ran away.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Akane was in her room singing a little while she worked on her Christmas present for Ranma.

She had told Ranma that she had been out shopping for presents, when really she had been shopping for material to make a present for him (Ranma).

She smiled, and giggled, feeling a warm breeze run through her body. At least it had not been one of them, to mess it up this time.

What if he had, actually kissed her? Gosh, she did not even want to think of the consequences. They would be married in a sec, then she would possible be killed, and Ranma would spent the rest of his life protecting her.

She did not want that for him, she wanted him to be happy. Not forcefully married to her, and then forced to protect her. She wanted to be able to take care of herself, not force anyone that she loved to do it.

Akane blushed, suddenly realizing that she had just used the L-word, while she thought of Ranma. She giggled feeling the warm breeze, once again rush through her body.

She heard Kasumi call out that dinner was ready, and put her unfinished gift away.

Then she ran out of her room, almost rushing into Ranma. Who looked at her, and smiled giving her hand a quick squeeze.

Akane sighed dreamily. "This cannot be for real, can it?" She wondered as they walked towards the dining room.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Something stupid_

"Oh yeah, well you are not cute at all you, you Tomboy" he yelled at her, just avoiding her backpack.

It had been two days since the incident, and everything had returned to normal, with their bickering and all. This time they had started fighting over some lunch that Akane had made for Ranma, and were now standing in the schoolyard, pretty much screaming at each other.

Akane narrowed her eyes "…so? As you said it once, I could never get a man, even if I tried. So why even try?" she shot back at him, finally making contact with him and her backpack.

"I don't get it. Why do you always get upset when I insult your cooking abilities?" he asked caressing his now swollen cheek "I always do".

She snorted turning away from him "maybe that's the reason; that you always insult it. I thought you said I had gotten better," she said, looking at the packed lunch she had made for him.

Ranma shrugged "well, yeah you have gotten better. But you still need a lot of training before I will start complementing you cooking," he said, looking with disgust at the rise balls she had made for him.

She huffed and turned away "how do you know they taste that bad, when you haven't even tried them?" she asked, looking at the balls.

"Previous experience" he stated.

Akane nodded. "Oh well, I will just have to find someone else to eat them then" she said disappointed.

Then looked up, as an evil idea appeared in her head; "oh Kuno" she yelled with the same seductive voice, that she had used on Ranma the night of the incident.

"You called my fair lady" Tatewaki Kuno said, arriving mere seconds after she called.

She nodded looking sideways at Ranma, who had already begun fuming. "It seems that I have no one to eat this," she said showing him the packed lunch.

"You needn't say more," Kuno said just before shoveling all the food in his mouth, chewing on it a few times and then swallowing it.

"Ah you have become an even greater cook my love," he said as he took Akane in his arms.

She had started getting nauseous, and had almost sent Kuno off flying. However, she caught the sight of Ranma's large grin. "Kuno, darling, may I call you by your first name?" she asked oh so sweetly.

Ranma almost lost his jaw, which caused her to grin.

"Why I don't know, one should get to no the other before using first names. But if it means that much to you, then please do call me by my first name" Kuno said.

Akane felt like vomiting, but decided on a different angle. "Thank you Tatchewaki" she said nauseatingly sweet, after which she made a phony giggle "so Tatewaki giggle do you maybe want to go with me to the dance?" She had no real intention of actually going to the dance with 'Tachewaki', but oh how she loved to see Ranma fume.

Before the elderly Kendo artist could manage to respond, she sent him off flying.

"What did you do that for?" Ranma yelled practically steaming.

She shrugged. "I don't know, well at least he ate my food" she said smiling at the empty box.

Ranma threw both of his hands up in the air. "Well duh, the nut is loony" he said.

Akane scowled at Ranma. "Yeah well, he said that I have improved" she said proudly.

"Hallo, haven't you been listening? I said that you have improved, too. I just said that you need to improve a bit more, before I will start giving you compliments," he said making a 'duh' look on his face.

She huffed "maybe I really should take Kuno to the dance".

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "But you can't stand Kuno, you will get sick" he said.

"Beats the hell out of spending the evening with you," she said angrily.

Then realized what she had just said, and thought in disappear "I did not mean that".

She looked at him, to see the damage her sentence had caused. He looked almost as depressed as Ryouga.

"But I thought…" his voice trailed off, and he shook his head turning away from her "never mind, seems like I made a mistake". He then started running.

She lowered her head sadly. "I should not have done that," she thought. Then looked in the direction, of which Ranma had run.

She shivered, feeling a cold breeze run through her body "I should not have done that".

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_The dance_

Ranma was sitting next to his date, Ukyou. He was doing it again; using one of his other fiancées to get back at Akane.

He knew that she had only meant to anger him, but he somehow thought that she should have known that it would hurt him, especially after the incident.

Ranma turned his look from Principal Kuno, (who was using more body language than actual language) to Akane. She was sitting in a row at his right, in between Yuka and Sayuri.

He would have gazed a bit more, had it not been that Ukyou was tucking on his arm.

"What's wrong Ran-Chan, you seem so absent-minded?" she asked and he shrugged.

She looked suspiciously at him. "This does not have anything to do with Akane, now does it?" she asked.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Of course not" he said, leaning back down in his seat, and once again paid attention to what was going on, on the stage.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Akane, why is Ranma here with Ukyou?" Yuka asked.

Akane looked a little annoyed at the reminder. "Just because, kay?" she answered shortly. Then she looked at her two friends with a look that said; 'I don't want to talk about it, so just drop it'.

Sayuri looked a little worried at Akane. However, she did not want to anger her friend anymore than she already was, so she turned to look at the stage.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"And now for you my little Kiki's, get ready for tha big show" and so the principal left the stage.

A kendo artist all dressed in dark green walked in with two flaming katanas, which he started dangling around dangerously.

The show was actually okay, until the Kendo artist set himself on fire and started running around screaming.

Someone finally threw some water at him, and as it turned out the Kendo artist had been no other than Tatewaki Kuno.

Principal Kuno came back on to the stage clapping his hands wildly "what a show".

A few slow claps followed from the audience and the principal cleared his throat.

"Now you go mingle before tha next big show. There's a lot of food and some punch for you all," the principal said and the light switched on.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Daisuke and Hiroshi walked up to Ranma, who for the moment was standing alone.

"So Ranma what are you doing here with Ukyou?" Daisuke asked.

"Yeah, I thought you said that you and Akane were getting along" Hiroshi added.

Ranma turned to look at Akane. "Yeah well, she told me that she'd rather spend the evening with Kuno than me," he said, surprisingly cold.

Daisuke and Hiroshi gasped, but then Hiroshi started laughing. "Man you almost had me there," he said.

However, when Ranma turned to look dead cold at the two, his laughter quickly died out.

"Geez I'm sorry, I had no idea you were serious," Hiroshi said.

"But she hates him" Daisuke stated and Hiroshi nodded agreeing.

"Hi there" Ukyou said suddenly standing behind Daisuke and Hiroshi.

Both of the boys turned swiftly "hello" they said simultaneously.

"Who hates who?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, this girl hates this boy from this manga Hiroshi and I are reading" Daisuke said, after which the two retreated.

Ukyou went to cling on to Ranma's arm. "I don't get them," she said nodding towards Ranma's two friends.

He shrugged and went to refill his glass, with some of the punch who was making him somewhat dizzy.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Won't you please tell me what happened?" Sayuri asked Akane, who half shrugged in respond.

"I said something stupid," she then said.

Yuka tilted her head. "What did you say?" she asked.

Akane bit her lip, if she did not tell them now they would never leave it alone. "I kinda sorta said that I would rather spend the evening with Kuno than Ranma," she said quickly while she still had the nerves to say it.

"WHAT?" Yuka and Sayuri practically screamed.

"Excuse me?" A very light voice came from behind Akane.

Akane turned slowly "what?" she asked, very annoyed not to be able to explain the whole story to her friends.

"Well, apparently someone spiked the punch and…" The girl wearing a cheerleading outfit looked a little nervous cause of the glare Akane was giving her.

"And… what?" Akane asked eager to get back to her story.

"Well you're the most athletic girl on the whole school, and we are short of a cheerleader…?" the girl finished.

"Well I'm not that good with pompoms, you sure you can't find any other girl?" Akane asked.

The girl nodded and Akane drew a long relaxing breath. "Fine, then teach me the steps".

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ranma put down his plastic cup, having finished his fourth cup of the spiked punch.

"I must say I was surprised when you asked me here," Ukyou said standing right in front of Ranma.

He shrugged "yeah well, Akane would've rather gone with Kuno and then you seemed like the reasonable choice".

Ranma jumped back before Ukyou could even react; why the fuck had, he just said that? He started laughing uncontrollably "had you there didn't I?" he laughed.

"Come to your seats Kiki's, tha next big show is ready," the principal announced.

When everyone was back on their seats, some rhythmic music began and the lights went out.

Then some girls jumped in making flick-flaps in the dim light, a minute later their pompoms lit, lightening up the room.

Akane was in the middle of the pyramid that they were building; she turned to look out into the audience and caught eye contact with Ranma for a second, which made her almost trip and ruin the pyramid.

The cheerleaders on the top of the pyramid fell backwards into the arms of some of the cheerleaders not in the pyramid. Akane jumped and landed on one arm, as she was supposed to do.

The crowd, or the audience started applauding wildly and Akane was happy that it had not been a much longer show.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ranma had ditched Ukyou, or more like fled from Ukyou to go look for Akane.

He was just going to tell her, that it had been almost beautiful (the cheerleading show that is) and that she had not totally destroyed it.

He spotted her short dark sort of navy-blue hair.

She was talking to some cheerleader-dude.

Ranma growled; no sissy should try to take his fiancée.

Ranma narrowed his eyes and went to poke Akane, somewhat angrily on the shoulder. "Akane we might not be friends for the moment, but that doesn't give you the right to flirt with some guy" (well at least he had made his point).

"Relax, Aoi-Sama and I weren't flirting," she said looking mildly annoyed at Ranma.

"Sorry dude, I did not know that Akane-Chan was in a relationship" the boy, Aoi apologized.

Ranma had started fuming, what was it with all these familiar fraises? "Fine you take her then, but a little warning to you 'Aoi-Sama' the girl can't cook and will most likely kill you" he finished his sentence with as much wickedness as he could muster.

"I thank you for the offer, but I… um, I go different ways, so to say" Aoi blushed slightly.

"You are gay?" Ranma asked confused.

Aoi nodded and Ranma turned to Akane. "Uh, now don't go thinking I was jealous or nothing. I just wanted to warn a fellow being of your cooking abilities," he said lamely.

She looked at him shortly before she hit him. "If that is how you feel, then… I hate you" she turned hard on her heals and started leaving the schools gymnasium.

Ranma would have followed her, had it not been that Ukyou, Shampoo and Kodachi had stopped him.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Christmas day_

Akane was not in the best mood, but at least Kasumi had not invited everyone as she had last year.

She hugged a present close to her heart. "I am still giving you this even though we haven't talked for days," she thought looking at her fiancée, who was jumping around putting Christmas decorations up.

"This is all wrong," Ranma, thought jumping to put another heart up. "We should be out on a date or something" he stopped to look at her, and could have sworn that she was looking back at him for a second.

"She would never go on a date with me," he thought jumping to land on the ground. "I shouldn't blame her though, I could try to act nicer to her," he thought sighing.

"You know you should be out on a date or something" Kasumi, innocent little Kasumi said, putting words to his thoughts.

Ranma shook his head, a bit too persistent maybe "nuh uh, no way in hell" he said looking away from Kasumi's eyes.

Akane looked up from the floor, and went to give Ranma his present. "I know it is not the time for Christmas presents or anything yet, and I know it is not much, but I hope you'll like it," she said handing him the present, which she had wrapped with more tape than paper.

"Uh, gee thanks 'Kane" he said lifting the gift.

He then suddenly put the gift back on the table. "No, this is all wrong" he said.

Akane nodded and were about to take her gift and leave, when he grabbed the hold of her hand.

"Akane we've been together for just about two years now" he paused as everyone's attention had been directed towards him. He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear, which made her laugh and nod.

Everyone starred as they ran off, and most of the Tendo resident followed, but lost track of the two somewhere in Nerima.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Akane was still laughing at Ranma's remark 'they sure did change their attention quick', but had no idea of where they were going.

He finally stopped. Taking a very long, very deep breath he turned towards Akane.

"Um…" he scratched the back of his neck nervously "usually Christmas is spent with friends and boyfriends or girlfriends; however we have never been alone on Christmas". Ranma cleared his throat before continuing, "I don't really know how you feel about all of this, but I would like to… well try to get along" he looked up to see her reaction.

Akane rolled her eyes "was that what you dragged me all the way out here to tell me?" she asked.

Ranma sweat dropped and face faulted. "Do you have any idea of how long I have wanted to say that?" he asked.

She looked sadly at him "you actually promised to tell me something the night of the dance" she said.

He looked sternly at her. "You still want the answer?" he asked.

Akane nodded, and Ranma grinned moving closer to her. "I can show you much easier than tell you".

Her eyes widened as she felt his breath getting closer and closer, then he suddenly drew back taking a bite of a snack bar. "I'm really hungry" he said.

"That was so not funny," she yelled at him.

Ranma looked innocently at her. "What did you think would happen?" he asked with an evil smile on his face.

"Nothing" Akane said turning to leave.

"You know, I wouldn't mind… you know, but then you got to promise not to kick me away," he said.

Akane turned to look at him strangely. "Why would I" that was about all she could say before he pressed his lips against hers.

It was not one of them Hollywood kisses; it was short and nervous.

Ranma stepped back blushing fiercely "boy how I have wanted to do that forever" he said smiling all over.

She blushed. Then noticed the package she was still holding, she had just managed to grab it before they had left the house.

"Don't you think this would be the perfect moment to open your present?" she asked handing it to him.

Ranma smiled softly and accepted the present; he ripped the paper with all the tape off and grinned.

"You will never learn will you?" he asked looking at the hat, she had knitted herself.

Akane shrugged sadly, but looked up when her fiancée put the hat on.

"Lucky for you that I look cute in everything I wear" he said adjusting the hat.

"Thanks," he finally said.

Then he reached into his own pocket finding a small gift. "I know it's not much but I hope you'll accept," he said trying to avoid her eyes.

Akane took the small present and opened it. "Oh Ranma it's beautiful," she said holding up the bow.

"Really?" he asked nervously, but lightened up as she put it on.

"So what are we supposed to do about, you know, the people at home?" she asked.

Ranma thought for a second "we could keep it a secret" he said.

"Yeah… no, it would never work with Nabiki in the house and all" Akane said.

He smiled softly "stop worrying so much, let's go home and eat some Christmas dinner, we'll take it one step at a time" he said leaning his arm across her shoulder pulling her closer.

"But really, what about the other girls, I'll be as good as dead once they figure it out" she said.

Ranma rolled his eyes and started laughing. "Then I'll eat some of your left over cooking and follow you. You know like in Romeo and Juliet".

Akane bopped him lightly on the head "don't tease me baka," she said.

He started tickling her, and this is where my Christmas special ends.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**A/N:** Wait before you go, keep an eye out for the next chapter, cause even though they have kissed and made up, does that really stop any of the teen problems from coming?

You know the drill, review or else Fluffy will hunt you down.


	5. Prepare to fight

**A/N: If you haven't re-read chapter three after I re-wrote it in December, please do. You will just get confused if you do not. Not the same point or story. **

Disclaimer: Never have, never will. I'm afraid the characters and the original story still belong to Rumiko Takashi.

**The Days to come**

**Part 5: _Prepare to fight_**

Ranma rolled his eyes, caught the flying spatula, the poisoned roses and the dreadful Chinese weapon.

"You know, maybe it wasn't such a good idea" Akane said walking along his side.

"What?" He asked, kicking Kuno away.

"This. Us. I mean, this whole 'for-real-couple' thing" she said, motioning to the angry people at every corner.

Ranma shrugged. "Well why not?" he asked. "I lo… well I like protecting you" he said as he took her hand.

"Maybe that's not enough" she said shaking his hand off. "I mean, at some point you won't find it amusing to be my guardian angel no more, and what do you suppose I do when that day comes".

Ranma looked down himself. "So you don't want to be with me anymore?" He asked nervously.

Akane twirled around. "No dummy, that was not what I was saying. Maybe if you train me, so that I can take care of those idiots on my own, then maybe…" she left the rest of the sentence up to his imagination.

"Are we going to have this talk, again?" He asked, taking her hand in his, again. "Look, you know that I cannot train you. I don't want to hurt you, it's as simple as that".

Akane narrowed her eyebrows. "You'd rather have me die when the day comes, that day when you aren't quick enough?" She asked.

Ranma made a quick chuckle. "You know that I am **always **fast enough" he said very cocksure of himself.

Akane sighed. "Maybe Ryouga-San will train me next time he comes to town" she said.

Oh she had her ways of getting her will; it was just a matter of pushing the right buttons.

Ranma turned to look at her. "Now you're planning an affair, and right in front of me?" He asked insulted.

Akane chuckled, "I never said anything about an affair, but the lost boy may help me get better at martial arts".

He rolled his eyes. "Does it really mean **that **much to you?" He asked.

"Mhm" she answered short and concrete.

"Fine, I'll train ya. Although we'll need to find you a sparring partner, I sure as hell am not hitting you" he said decidedly.

………………………………...

It was no real ruff finding a partner for Akane. What had been the trouble was to find one, who wouldn't actually kill her.

Akane looked at her partner. "Thank you for helping" she said.

"No problem, it's no real fun beating you up if you can't fight back" the chef said.

Ranma walked up to the girls. "Let me see your stands" he said, already taking in the roll of some military officer.

"Straighten up those legs. Standing like that only makes it easier to get a kick through. Didn't you hear me? I said straighten up those legs".

Akane looked a little frightened, even though she had expected him to be a hard trainer; she hadn't expected him to yell at her like that.

"That's more like it. Ukyou, get those arms down, you need them to defend yourself, not dance around in tights as a ballerina" he said firmly.

"Okay, ready for round two. Drop and give me twenty". Both of the girls looked confused. "Arm stretching. What did you think? Cookies? Now drop and give me 30".

Akane felt humorous, this was what she had been missing, admitted she thought he was too strict. Nevertheless, crazy as it may sound, she enjoyed it.

"Okay enough with the strength. Run around the house 10 times, come on... don't force me to make you run 20".

As the two girls quickly started their running around the house, Ranma kept an eye on them, actually mostly Akane, only Akane… He hoped that Ukyou herself kept track on how many turns she had run. It was hard on him though, every time Akane came around she was smiling so brightly, that Ranma was forced to smile himself.

Ukyou stopped a turn before Akane. Ranma figured that she was that much faster than the short haired macho chick.

When Akane finally came around, Ranma looked at his watch.

"Go drink some water, and do your thing. When you come back we'll be ready for your first match" he said. (Ps. He was talking about going to the toilet 'do your thing'. You there? You following me? On with the story then).

Akane came out first. She looked around the dojo, a real match, a sparring partner who would actually fight back.

Ranma looked at the two girls, as Ukyou entered the dojo.

"Stand here, in front of each other!" He ordered, and the girls followed his order quickly.

"Okay, here are the rules: 1. be fair, don't kick the other when she's already down 2. No biting or any other so-called girly moves 3. Have fun, and please stop before you break anything" Ranma directed the last one to Akane, knowing how stubborn she could be.

They bowed to each other and took their stand.

Akane remembering to always keep her legs straight, and Ukyou kept her arms down just about the height of her breasts.

Ranma kept a good eye on the two. Ukyou had strong precise kicks, whereas Akane had most of her strength in her arms.

He mentally noted that she needed to learn how to use her legs. She weren't fast, and not really secure on her legs. Somehow he doubted that she could use those strong thighs, with how she worked her legs.

Ranma was so busy, controlling and checking, that he didn't notice his own move to stop a spatula from hitting Akane.

"4" He said dropping the spatula to the ground. "No use of weapons, chairs or anything that you might come to think of. Bare hands and feet, only. We'll talk about the use of your legs later" he said, directing the last thing he said to Akane again.

The match went on, for about 10 more minutes, when Ukyou finally landed a successful kick on Akane. Who fell to the ground, and waived her hand panting, as a sign that she had lost the fight.

"Thank you for your help today U-Chan, same time tomorrow?" He asked waiving at his friend as she left.

Akane who could barely stand on her feet was laughing joyfully. "I lasted for 15 full minutes against Ukyou. Granted, she didn't have her weapons, but still".

Ranma smiled. "You did well. Can you walk?"

Akane tried moving her legs, only to fall down. "No" she said shortly.

Ranma went to help her. "Maybe I should have gone a bit easier on you" he said, carrying her into the house.

Akane pushed him lightly, all the while laughing a beautiful silent laugh.

"Oh come on, you know me" she said and Ranma laughed agreeing.

………………………………...

Ranma carried her up the stairs.

"Boy a shower would be nice right now" she said.

"You'll drown yourself trying to get in and out of the tub" he noted.

Akane shrugged. "I could wear my swimsuit, then you could stay in there with me, also to keep me from dozing off" she suggested.

Ranma was about to protest, but in a matter of seconds Akane was wearing her white swimsuit.

Wondering where she got it from, and especially how she got it on, he carried her out into the showers.

Ranma started heating the water, with Akane sitting right behind him waiting patiently.

He turned to look at her. "5 Minutes, then you can go in" he said.

Then he noticed the bruises on her legs. "How did that happen?" He asked motioning to her legs.

"Oh it's nothing. You were right my legs won't cooperate with the rest of my body" she said stretching them.

"Wow, you have some beautiful legs though. Uh, I-mean… very muscular. I'll teach you how to use them" he then turned to the water.

"You can get in now" he said, as he lifted his fiancée and put her down in the tub.

She looked at him smiling. "Thank you Ranma" she said as she leaned back "thank you for everything".

………………………………...

Later that night, Akane was in her room, sitting on her bed.

She shivered as the thought of the Ranma-Ryouga incident entered her mind, for the first time in ages.

Ranma had told her some lame story, about how Ryouga had mysteriously ended up in the bathtub, and how Ranma had found him in there, when he came to wash Ry-P-Chan. Of course Ranma had been startled, and then they had started fighting, Ryouga only covered by a towel. So when Ryouga slipped, that's how they ended up in the very peculiar situation.

"_What kind of idiot does he take me for?_" She wondered.

Someone forced her out of her thoughts with a knock on her door.

"Y-yeah, who is there?" Akane asked startled.

"Nabiki, can I come in sis?" The voice of the middle Tendo sister rang outside her door.

Akane was a bit annoyed to be disturbed at the moment, but nonetheless called out a "yeah" after a moment.

Nabiki went in. "Sis you can't deny the fact, that you and Ranma are an item anymore" she walked to sit next to her younger sister on the bed. "And you certainly can't hide from me" Nabiki said with an all knowing voice.

Akane blushed and looked down herself.

"How far have you gone with him?" Nabiki asked, making the youngest Tendo blush harder. "Have you done it?" Nabiki asked.

Akane looked at her sister nervously. "**It**?" She asked in a wondering tone of voice.

"Yeah the big mambo jumbo. The bed gymnastics. Have you done it?" Nabiki asked pushing on.

"N-no, we've only been training out in the dojo" Akane said, clueless as ever.

"So you haven't had sex?" Nabiki assumed.

Akane's eyes widened. "S-sex?" She asked, finally figuring out what 'it' was. "N-n-no, never. That would be wrong" Akane said firmly (spluttering, but yet firmly).

"Uh huh" Nabiki said turning to look at her sister. "When the day comes, that you two get too hot, please protect yourself" she said.

Akane wanted to jump out the window, her older sister was holding a sex class, with Akane as the only student.

"Here" Nabiki said, handing Akane a little plastic wrapped thing. "I want to make sure that you remember to protect yourself" the words left Nabiki's mouth just about the time that Akane lifted the little package to see what it was.

The word CONDOM was written large and clear on it; Akane shrieked and threw it away from her. The condom landed on the floor, close to Akane's desk.

"Why would you… give me THAT?" Akane asked her sister, who was grinning.

"For your own good" the simple answer from Nabiki came. "I know how nature works. You can't tell me that you haven't been feeling hot, being all alone with Ranma, and kissing him".

Akane blushed, it was true, she had, and she remembered just last night in her room when she had wanted him to touch her.

"There are a couple of things you should know. The 'I'll pull out before I come' don't work. Never have, never will. First of all, you'll share whatever deceases you might have. When the penis is in the... ya' know, with no protection on, it's basically too late. You'll probably find yourself with a baby nine months later, and no man, because he simply wasn't ready. **Remember protection! **Then there's the proper use of a condom, don't ever turn the other side out if you put it on wrong. Blow lightly on the condom, to see which way to turn it. Don't keep it in your wallet, and let it stay in the plastic pack until you are planning to use it".

Akane looked at her sister confused. "Why do I need to know all that?" She asked. "Isn't Ranma supposed to be the one who knows all about it?"

Nabiki rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well no, and yes. You should both know the proper use of the things, that'll keep you not pregnant, and safe from deceases. Though you could fear that in the act of mating, Ranma won't be doing much thinking. Men have two heads Akane, y'know. And Ranma probably won't think a lot with the one on the top in the sexual act".

Then Nabiki got up. "Just promise me that **you** will think". Then she went to pick the condom up. "I'll put this one in this shelf; it'll keep you from having to explain how a condom ended up on your floor". Then Nabiki left the room closing the door after her.

………………………………...

Akane had been doing nothing, but to stare at the shelf since Nabiki had left.

"_I owe a condom? I **owe** a freaking condom?? I… innocent little I. What did she expect? That because we have been dating for just about half a week, that I'll spread my legs and willingly let him… yuck!_"

"Akane?"

Her head immediately spun around when someone called her name.

"What?" She asked, still angry, frightened and confused about the fact that she now owned a condom.

Ranma opened her door and walked in without permission.

"You mad at me?" He asked.

Akane who had seconds ago been steaming, melted into something that you could expect from Shampoo or maybe Ukyou, but her now soft gaze did not fit the Akane Tendo that we know.

"No…" she said, but as she was about to ask him to sit next to her on the bed, she remembered the condom, thus turning angry again. "What do you want?"

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Well, I wanted to ask if your legs were better, so that we could practice them a little bit. However, if that's the attitude that you'll have all night, then never mind" he said and turned to leave again.

Akane abruptly jumped up. "Wait! I'm… sorry. I just had some things on my mind, but I shouldn't have taken them out on you. If you still want to train me, I mean, I want to learn, no, uh… train me? Please??"

Ranma had always been a big sucker for those puppy dog eyes, and nodded smiling. "If you are sure you can handle it?"

………………………………...

"Try to mimic my steps" Ranma said, afterwards taking two right quick steps and one forward slow.

Akane was clumsy as always and tripped over her own legs, Ranma sighed but went to help her up.

"Really it's not much different from dancing" he took her right hand in his left, and put his other hand around her waist.

"You can dance?" She asked surprised.

"Not really. Just try to follow my steps, and don't step on my foot too much" he said and started moving.

Soon they were dancing, to the best of the imaginary music.

Akane had long ago forgotten all about her newly achieved condom, and was now just enjoying the evening.

Ranma spun her around, just about the time that a mistletoe came dangling down from the ceiling. He pulled the mistletoe, and down came Genma.

"Why are you spying on us old man?" Ranma asked.

Genma, now turned panda laughed holding a sign that said "me know nothing of spying, I'm just a cute panda".

Genma was soon flying in the skies of Nerima, courtesy of Ranma.

"Anyone else spying?" Akane asked turning to look around the dojo.

Kasumi stepped in from the entrance. "Just making sure that you were being nice" she said innocently.

Soun poked up from behind one of the windows. "I wasn't spying, I was just looking for something that I lost" he said, not so innocently.

Nabiki came up from underneath the floor. "Just trying to earn a little cash" she said, not even trying to sound innocently.

Akane growled, thanked Ranma for the training and left the dojo. Ranma did the same, after giving everyone in the dojo an evil glare.

"Shoot, nothing worth selling" Nabiki said and left too.

………………………………...

A couple of days later, Akane had gotten better at using her legs, and she even got a kick through every once in a while in the matches against Ukyou.

Ranma was teaching her new tricks, which made it easier to fight without the use of weapons.

The youngest Tendo was training one of those new tricks, as a cat snuck up on her.

Akane spun around, just in time to avoid a kick from Shampoo.

"You me fight for Airen" Shampoo yelled, not really out of her own character.

Akane rolled her eyes, and then spun just in time to stop a ribbon of Kodachi's. Both of the girls attacked Akane a second later.

"Okay, you know what" Akane said stopping the girls. "We'll have a tournament for Ranma in a month. Unless Ranma makes a decision on whom he wants to marry before the tournament".

Akane closed her mouth shot, what was she doing? Why did she actually want to fight these psycho girls, for Ranma?

Okay, maybe she had some feelings for the boy. However they weren't much more than a simple crush. Not much different from the one, that she used to have on Tofu.

As she looked up both of the girls, was gone. She sighed to herself in relieve.

Then admitted, that she might, maybe, possible, actually love him, Ranma.

"Hey, yo 'Kane" only one person in the world could call on her like that.

She turned nervously. "Hi Ranma" she said greeting him.

"What's this?" He asked, showing her one of the notes Nabiki usually passed out.

Akane read the note: Big Tournament the first February 17 o'clock

Place, Furinkan High school

First Price, Ranma Saotome

She looked up at her fiancée, roomers sure did travel fast.

"What is this? You're not ready to fight those girls. Why would you risk your life in a stupid tournament?" He asked angrily.

Akane looked at the note again, the names of the contestants were written at the bottom.

"If you just made your pick I wouldn't have to" Akane said angrily.

"Don't try to turn this one on me, you arranged the stupid fight" Ranma growled.

"If I hadn't I would already be dead, Mr. 'I'm always fast enough'".

Ranma softened his look. "What?"

Akane on the other hand, didn't soften hers, and looked as if she was about to burst. "They, Shampoo and Kodachi were right here not long ago. I managed to avoid, and block their first attacks. However they would have killed me, if I hadn't suggested the Tournament".

He looked sorry, and regretful.

"Then we better go on a training trip or something" he suggested, in a tone that sounded familiar to the one you use to cheer someone up with.

Akane curved her head to the side. "What about new years eve?" She asked.

Ranma shrugged. "I suppose we'll have to ask for permission" then he took her hand. "Do you honestly think that our fathers would oppose to the two of us, going on a small trip?"

Akane laughed. "No, but you could be worried that Kasumi or your mom might".

Ranma smiled. "Then we'll just have to elope".

And so they walked into the Tendo house laughing, only to come out again minutes later carrying two backpacks.

………………………………...

**A/N:** Heh, well I know, training trip, again. I don't know, I suppose I like getting them out of Nerima. You shouldn't worry, I'm not just going to copy my last story, I promise. (I might not let them travel alone. Akane needs a partner who'll actually fight back ya know .-)

Please leave your review; it's not too late to make me forget about the training trip. I myself just worry that she won't be ready for the tournament without it. I would like to give her the opportunity to win. However, if it is really a bad idea and I'm being too much of a copy-cat-Ken, do tell me (but put it nicely).

For now happy holidays (fluffy waves to you all)


	6. Love Quarrels

**A/N: **Hello, finally the update is ready. I'm sorry if there are many flaws, I guess I just wanted to update this story, while I still had the time.

Explanation and apology at the bottom… wuv ya

Disclaimer: Still not mine, unfortunately

Ps. Jumped New Year's

………………………………...

**The days to come**

_Chapter 6: Love quarrels_

Two weeks after New Year's Eve.

Akane was sitting by the tend watching them carefully.

Ranma and Ukyou was joking and laughing, and Akane felt like the unwanted third member.

"Geez" she thought. "Where is Ryouga or even that idiot Kuno when you need to make Ranma jealous?"

As if on cue, the lost boy stepped out of a bush. "WHERE ON EARTH AM I KNOW???" Ryouga screamed.

Akane immediately jumped up. "Oh, hi Ryouga. Funny you should show up here," she said walking over to him.

"H-hi A-A-Akane" the bandana boy greeted, nervously as ever.

"Lost again, huh?" She asked smiling brightly.

Ryouga blushed all over and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, guess so…" he said looking around himself.

"You big silly. You never did have any sense of direction, now did you?" Akane said-asked, then she broke into a heartfelt laugh.

"If Ranma comes to interrupt he might still want to…" Akane thought, then caught herself blushing. She looked quickly over her shoulder, just to see Ranma and Ukyou in a tickling combat.

"…the last time you saw me" Ryouga said finishing a sentence.

Akane looked at him quickly, and then started to giggle rather loudly. "Don't you worry about that **Ryouga**, Ranma explained everything to me," she said, noticing to her own satisfaction that Ukyou and Ranma's fight had stopped.

"Now if he notices us, he'll be sure to interrupt," Akane thought looking rather grim.

"You actually listened to him?" Ryouga asked, in a wondering tone of voice.

She looked at him with a forced smile. Of course, she had not, but Ryouga did not need to know of her little scheme.

"I suppose," she said simply.

"Akane!" Ranma called, making her to spin around.

"Yeah?" She answered, smiling happily; finally, she got some attention.

Unfortunately, as she turned, she saw that he was not only still standing with Ukyou, but were still looking happy (a happy look does not fit a jealous guy).

Oooh how she wanted to hammer him, just punch him flat and tell him not to flirt with another girl.

However she did not, she turned to Ryouga instead. "If you ain't got anywhere to be at the moment, you are welcome to stay with us," Akane said, putting on a sweet smile and offered her hand.

Ryouga blushed to a crimson red (tomatoes would have been jealous of his color). Well he did have a date with Akari, but she usually waited even if he was a month late, so he could stay here for a little while.

In the end, Ryouga accepted her hand, and they walked together towards Ranma and Ukyou.

If Akane had noticed the way Ranma was starring at them, she would have been satisfied and let go of Ryouga at the spot. Unfortunately for Ranma and fortunately for Ryouga, she did not; Ukyou was accidentally blocking the view.

Ukyou turned to Ranma, and barely caught a glimpse of his eyes that resembled a fire.

"Uh, Ran-Chan?" Ukyou asked, but was suddenly grabbed by 'Ran-Chan' and hugged tender.

Now Ukyou was not a complete ditz as Kodachi, and was very aware of the silent war between Ranma and Akane. However, she did not want to pass an opportunity to actually make Ranma fall in love with her, so of course she played along with his little act.

"Ryouga… hi" Ranma growled, narrowing his eyes at the lost bandana boy, who was holding hands with **his **fiancée.

"So… what did you want?" Akane asked returning the favor, of a growl and narrowed eyes, as Ranma was still standing with his arms around Ukyou.

"Ukyou" Ranma said turning Ukyou around so that she was now facing the others "has learned a new trick" he finished without letting go of her.

Akane gave him a quick nod, and then turned to Ryouga. "Do you bring presents?" Akane asked, sort of demanding him to hand over whatever he was carrying in his rucksack.

Ryouga looked at the gifts, originally meant for Akari.

"I'm sorry Akari, but I will buy you new presents for when I finally find you" the lost boy thought and started piling gifts for Akane.

"And these, and this, and here is more of that, and a little more of this, and I really hope you'll enjoy the things" Ryouga said finishing the pile of gifts (**A/N**: so many ands' in one sentence, sorry but I just thought it sounded good).

Akane looked like she was about to cry, well if you were in her place you would understand. The man (boy?) she loved (loves) in the arms of another woman, a good (male) friend of yours brings you like a gazillion presents, and the man you love don't even twitch.

Ranma looked like he had discovered the discovery of the century, as he pointed to a nametag sticking to some of the gifts.

"Why does it say 'To Akari'?" He (Ranma-Einstein) asked.

Ryouga blushed and laughed a little. "Oh my… does it? Well that is a mistake" bandana boy stated.

Ranma stuck his nose in the air huffing. "Bah, well you should still see the trick Ukyou learned".

Ukyou winced at the mentioning of her name, but nodded and prepared to perform the trick.

She stood straight, then bend her knees, and was suddenly apologizing.

Akane snorted. "The crouching tiger…" she said in a huff, but then smiled tauntingly "figures, like father like son".

Ranma eyed her. "Don't say that! Try to attack Ukyou," he said.

Akane rolled her eyes, but did as she was told to anyway.

As she neared Ukyou, the longhaired chef quickly grabbed her legs and twisted her so that Akane was now lying on her stomach.

"May I present the upgraded crouching tiger?" Ranma said, motioning to Ukyou.

The shorthaired girl accepted Ukyou's hand and was soon standing again.

Ranma mocked Akane, until Ryouga attacked him, screaming something along the lines of 'how dare you mock Akane'.

Ukyou looked at the two, a smile forming on her lips. "So what do you say, want to go for a swim?"

Akane looked surprised, why was Ukyou being nice to her? "Sure" she answered a bit uncertain.

Ryouga and Ranma were in some sort of a battle, when the two girls left to take a swim.

………………………………...

Ukyou slipped back against a stone in the small hot water lake, which the girls had found.

"So…" Ukyou said looking at her companion, her greatest rival in the combat for Ran-Chan.

Akane looked quite pleasant in the water, and smiled at the Chef in response.

"You and Ran-Chan seem to be more pleased with each other!?" Ukyou said, closing her eyes relaxing in the warm water.

Akane huffed. "Like as if" the young Tendo said.

Ukyou looked at her. "Like totally," she said splashing water at Akane.

"You should have seen Ranma when you walked hand in hand with Ryouga," Ukyou said sadly.

"Really?" Akane asked sitting up.

Ukyou shrugged. "I might as well face it, I lost. You and Ran-Chan makes a perfect match".

Akane blushed, but figured that it might be the heat (she wished it was the heat). "Nuh uh, you and Ranma are such great friends" she said splashing some water back at the brown-haired girl.

"Yeah, well I actually prefer loosing to you, rather than the bimbo or the lunatic" Ukyou said.

Akane nodded. "Yeah me to, I mean loose him to you, rather than one of the other two".

The girls looked at each other then laughed.

"Ya know, if it hadn't been for all this crazy shit we might have been friends," Ukyou said.

Akane nodded, "yeah".

Then the two girls faced each other, just a second before they started their water combat.

………………………………...

"Y'know" Ranma said looking at Ryouga. "If she really was going to choose someone else, I think I would be happy if she chose you".

The boys had stopped fighting and was now sitting close to the tends.

Ryouga smiled. "Yeah, I feel the same" the lost bandana boy agreed.

"Not that I think she would ever give up on me" Ranma said confidently.

Ryouga shook his head. "You should never be too incautious with the girl you love".

Ranma blushed, looking embarrassed. "I never said I love her," the young pigtailed martial artist protested.

Ryouga a.k.a the lost boy rolled his eyes. "Who exactly do you think you are fooling?" He asked.

Ranma laughed nervously. "I don't love Ukyou," he said firmly.

"Who were talking about Ukyou?" Ryouga asked. "I never shoved that much interest in Ukyou. We were talking about Akane, you bozo!"

Now, the pigtailed Saotome wasn't a complete idiot, and was very aware of the fact that they had been talking about Akane. However, he did a good job of shoving his incomprehension.

"Really?" Ranma asked, completely innocent.

Ryouga huffed. "Listen to me Ranma Saotome, Akane won't always wait for you. At some point, she will feel the need to have her love returned. However, if you are not ready to pronounce your love for her when that time comes, she will search elsewhere" the lost Ryouga had made his point.

"She loves me?" Ranma asked, eyes wide. Could it be, for real? "Has she told you that she loves me?" He asked. Then realized that he was getting worked up, and in a second calmed down, to the careless Ranma we know.

"So let her leave, I don't care what she does, that macho chick means absolutely nothing to me" Ranma said, making sure that no one was about to guess his true feelings.

Someone gasped making both of the boys spin around, to see who or what it was that had made the sound.

"So I was right, you kissed me out of petty," Akane said, tears forming in her eyes.

Ranma jumped up. "No, no, no. You were not supposed to here that" he said waiving his hands.

She nodded once. "Congrats Ukyou, he's all yours" she said then turned to leave.

"Oh and another thing" Akane said, turning back shortly. "I HATE YOU," she screamed, and then she was gone.

Ryouga looked at the pit, in which Ranma was lying. "How did that happen, she wasn't close enough to touch you, and she just screamed" the lost boy wondered.

"Figures" Ukyou said with a smile, "her rage is a fabulous technique".

Ranma closed his eyes, kicking himself mentally. "Now look what you did! What am I supposed to do now?" He thought.

Ukyou looked at him, smiling sadly because of what she was about to say. "Go get her Ran-Chan, don't be an idiot and let her go" the chef said with a sigh.

Ryouga nodded "yeah Ranma, if you love her, you should get going".

Ranma looked surprised at the two, the one who wanted to marry him and the other who wanted to marry Akane.

"Thanks, you truly are my friends," the pigtailed Ranma said getting up.

Ukyou looked down herself. "Go now! Before I change my mind," she said.

Ryouga nodded. "Now!" The lost boy ordered, holding back his tears, "WAAAAAAH" (he never did a very good job of hiding his feelings).

Ranma nodded and started running in the direction, which Akane had taken.

………………………………...

"Ranma no baka" Akane cursed, throwing another brick into the water.

"Art thou angry?" Someone asked making Akane jump startled.

She narrowed her eyes at the older boy. "Kuno" she spat.

"I have come to fight the vile Ranma Saotome, who holds you prisoner," the very heroic Kendo artist pronounced.

Akane sweat dropped. "Yeah… thanks Kuno".

"Yo" a third person said poking Kuno on the shoulder.

"Show your self!" Kuno ordered.

"I'm right here Kuno" Ranma said landing in front of him. "So… you've come to defeat me?" Ranma asked mockingly "no time to waist then, attack me Kuno".

Kuno screamed and charged at Ranma, who soon kicked the blue thunder into the air.

"What do you want?" Akane snarled.

Ranma snapped around to look at her.

He scratched the back of his neck. "You know, that thing I said to Ryouga, I didn't mean it," he said smiling gently.

"Bah" she hissed. "You never mean anything. I can't figure out when you are sincere, and when you are pulling a trick".

Ranma gaped at her. "But I didn't mean it. You mean a lot to me, that is why I kissed you. I… well I am not ready to tell you yet. However, I promise that in time I will be".

Akane snorted "yeah, like I would ever believe that". She turned to look at him angrily. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

"Ranma, Akane" Ryouga called, he had changed his mind about letting Ranma and Akane get together, and had strangely enough found the lovebirds.

Akane turned to look; just as she caught the view of Ryouga, it started raining. Ranma quickly turned her head to kiss her, but as he drew back from the kiss, she slapped him.

"What?" Ranma asked truly surprised.

Akane narrowed her eyes at her. "Don't you dare kiss me at the moment" she snarled.

They heard a bwee and Akane turned, "P-Chan". She took her little piglet up to pet him.

Ranma narrowed her eyes at the piglet. "I hate you, you pig!" She thought angrily following right behind Akane and P-Chan/Ryouga.

………………………………...

Ranma went directly into her tent, when they got back to the camp.

Ukyou raised an eyebrow, and then she turned to look at Akane holding her little pet piglet.

"What did you say to him?" She asked, looking back at Ranma's tent.

"Nothing" Akane said short.

Ukyou raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh, ya know that he wouldn't act like that unless something was wrong" the longhaired chef had started heating some water for Ranma, currently in girl form.

"He kissed me," Akane said, making Ukyou fall flat on the ground.

"Which made you angry?" Ukyou asked, wanting to strangle the girl who was mad, because **her** Ran-Chan had kissed the girl.

"Well…" Akane told Ukyou the story.

"And then he kissed me as a girl" Akane said finishing the story "not only were we fighting, but he was also in girl shape".

Ukyou nodded "and so you slapped him?" She asked.

Akane nodded, looking guilty.

"You know how lucky you are?" Ukyou asked.

Akane looked surprised. "Me? Lucky?" She asked.

"Yeah. Ranma loves you, even though you treat him like shit. I would give my right arm for just one kiss, and I would die for his love, even if he would only return it for one day," Ukyou said finishing her speech.

Akane nodded, yeah she was kinda lucky, but how could Ukyou be so sure that he loved (loves) her? Ukyou had also heard him tell Ryouga, that he had absolutely no feelings for her.

"You should be careful," Ukyou, said in a warning tone. "I doubt that Ranma will stay with you forever, if you keep acting like you do. You have to start shoving your feelings for him, act more like a girl, and do more cute things".

Akane nodded. "Will you teach me?" She asked the chef, who might not be the best to teach that specific subject.

"P-Chan where are you going?" Akane asked her pet pig as it ran away.

"Akane I will teach you," Ryouga said, stepping out of nowhere.

Ukyou nodded. "Yeah it might be the best if you get someone else to teach ya how to act like a girl" then she raised her eyebrows "however a girl might be the best".

Akane shook her head. "No, no. I will take whatever help I can get" she said, and then turned to Ryouga "teach me everything you know".

Ryouga nodded. "First of all, we'll have to buy you some much more lady like clothes. Where is the nearest town?"

Akane raised an eyebrow. "Oh Ryouga" she said with a smile. "We are just barely out of Tokyo" Akane motioned to a sign that said 'Tokyo ½ a mile'.

Ryouga blushed, and walked in the opposite direction of Tokyo. Akane laughed and grabbed his arm to take him the right way, towards Tokyo.

Ukyou was shaking her head, when someone suddenly put a hand on her shoulder.

"Where are they going?" Ranma asked in a very monotone voice, in guy shape gain.

"Uh towards Tokyo, Akane was going to buy groceries for us and Ryouga offered to help" Ukyou said rather quickly.

"Is that so…" Ranma said looking at all the groceries that they had bought yesterday.

Ukyou bit her lip. "Um well, Ryouga… Ryouga wanted to buy presents for Akari, and Akane offered to go along, to make sure that he was going in the right direction".

The chef looked up, but Ranma was gone. "Crap" she thought, "I was alone with Ran-Chan… I let him get away" Ukyou pouted her lips a little "bummer".

………………………………...

Akane laughed. "You seriously want me to wear this now?" She asked her companion Ryouga.

The lost boy looked at the blue dress that Akane was wearing, and then nodded trying very hard to resist a nosebleed.

Akane twirled around, watching herself in a windows reflection. The blue dress was hugging her curves tightly. However, it was loose from the thighs and down, thus giving her the ability to escape if needed.

"Don't you think it is a bit too much?" She asked.

Ryouga shook his head, but had no time to respond when a redhead suddenly fell into his arms.

"Oh my goodness, thank you. You saved me from the robbers, they were following me," the red head said.

Akane raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Doesn't she look an awful lot like Ranma" Akane wondered.

"Robbers you say?" heroic Ryouga asked. "Let me teach them not to rob beautiful young women" and so the lost boy turned to run in the different direction, of the one the red head had come from.

Akane splashed hot water on the red headed girl. "Ranma why are you bothering us?" She asked.

Ryouga's eyes narrowed. "Ranma…" he growled turning to face the red headed girl, now turned black haired boy.

"Akane you macho, sexless, tombooooy" Ranma yelled flying through the sky.

"Akane you must learn a few things of what being a real woman means" Ryouga said, pulling her along with him.

Akane raised an eyebrow as the entered a cinema, but Ryouga explained to her that they were going to watch some movies with real women, so that she could learn from the women in the movies.

Ranma who was watching nearby, had not heard a thing, and had started glowing. "So now she is dating him? That no good unfaithful hag… ooh how I loath her, but that's no reason for her to go and date another guy" the scary pigtailed boy on fire thought.

………………………………...

Akane returned to the camp a couple of hours later.

Ukyou looked up; she was currently sitting on the ground. "Hi there Akane, what happened to Ryouga?" The female chef asked.

"Well he vanished suddenly, but I'm pretty sure I heard him call 'Akari there you are'" the usually boyish girl, who for the moment looked like a woman said.

"Aren't we fancy" Ranma who appeared behind a tree spit.

Akane remembered all of the rules she had taught that day, and so she fell to her knees apologizing.

"I'm sorry you do not like the dress," she said.

He was startled to say the least, what was she doing and why?

"Uh, you, the dress don't look that dumb, but why are you wearing it?" Ranma asked.

He remembered one time, when she had told him, that once when she fell in love she would automatically turn cute. It couldn't be what was happening now, could it? "No, not Ryouga" Ranma thought, reassuring himself.

Akane wanted nothing more than to hammer him flat, but she kept her calm, and began apologizing for wearing the dress without an occasion.

Ranma was really getting freaked out; the Akane that he knew would have killed him by now.

What to do, when your woman acts different from usual, fake infidelity, that has got to make her react.

"Yo Ukyou" Ranma said walking towards the longhaired chef.

Ukyou looked up. "Yeah?" She ask-responded.

"You look really great, unlike someone else I know" Ranma said, looking at Akane through the corner of his eyes.

Akane's fists had started clenching, and she wore an expression that fit her well.

"You really mean that Ranma?" Ukyou asked getting up.

"Indeed. I would much rather have you than this other person, who's totally not cute and always violent".

Akane was now surrounded by her usual blue aura, and Ranma was sure that she'd turn back into the Akane that he knew.

However, with a lot of effort and a really, really long breath Akane managed to restrain herself.

Ukyou was amazed at the sudden change, where as Ranma on the other hand, was starting to get worried.

Akane started singing and doing the dishes.

"Who annoys Akane the most?" Ranma thought. Minutes later, he was gone, in search of a phone.

When he returned, he wore a quite confident smile. This was sure to get on her nerves, and then she had to react.

Ring ring A very familiar sound of a bicycle bell rang.

"Cat café delivery, Shampoo here" a screeching voice squealed throughout the forest.

"Ah, Shampoo… I've been waiting for you" Ranma said in a somewhat seductive tone of voice.

"Airen" Shampoo beamed.

"So what took you so long, want to go for a walk in the forest?" Ranma asked.

"Sure, Shampoo like that very much" then she turned to look at Akane. "Why violent girl wear pretty dress? Makes her look almost female" the Chinese girl stated.

"Come on, do something. Yell at me, look insulted, hammer me… something" Ranma thought watching the peaceful Akane.

Peaceful? Maybe, but being in the state of a shock, gives you the power to stand very still.

"What is going on?" Akane thought.

"So Shampoo, have you been training hard to win me at the tournament?" Ranma asked.

Ukyou watched the two carefully, not Shampoo and Ranma, but Akane and Ranma.

Shampoo suddenly jumped to grope Ranma. "Oh Airen, Shampoo loves you so much" she sort of purred into Ranma's ear.

"Will you please excuse me?" Akane asked. She had to get rid of her anger, but not in front of, or on Ranma.

Ranma watched her as she left through the forest. "Finally, some reaction. Now if I could just…" He thought, trying to fight off Shampoo.

However when Ukyou started yelling at Shampoo for being a bimbo, he really didn't have to do much work and quietly left the two bickering girls.

………………………………...

Akane hit another brick. "Why does he keep doing this to me?" She thought.

Then she focused her anger, and simply screamed it out, breaking a few other bricks in two.

"You know, we really ought to train that technique of yours" a voice suddenly sounded behind her.

"What do you want?" She asked turning to face him.

"I want to know why you started acting like another person?" He said walking up to her.

"What do you mean?" Akane asked.

"Well, you were all female…" He said.

She narrowed her eyes. "And I'm not usually?" she asked with anger.

"That was not, what I was saying. It's just that the Akane that I know, wouldn't have let me get away with so much" he tried, he really tried to save this one.

"Oh so you were just playing me" Akane said in a matter of statement.

"No that was" Ranma started to defend himself, but was cut short by Akane.

"Precisely what you were doing. The thing with Ukyou and then Shampoo" had she ever been angry before, this was at least 10 times worse.

"Well, what did you expect? You come back from a date with Ryouga, and act all different. I had to do something, to see if you were still in there" Ranma hissed.

"I was not on a date with Ryouga, he was just teaching me… well Ukyou said" Akane had calmed down.

"What did Ukyou say?" Ranma asked, calming down as well.

"Well she explained, that you… that I… well, that I needed to be more feminine" Akane was trying to explain, without really saying it.

"What?" Ranma asked, moving closer to her. "When did you start listening to Ukyou?"

"It's not that I did, it's just that I didn't… I mean" Akane could feel the tears burning in her eyes. "I just wish that we could be a normal couple" she finally screamed, the tears escaped her eyes and she had started sobbing.

"Is that so?" Ranma asked starting to caress her face. "If those are not happy tears, then please stop crying, I hate to see you cry. I'm sorry that I don't know how to express my feelings, but I'm really bad with words" he dried the tears away from her eyes.

"I'm sorry" Akane said in a low sob.

"For what?" He asked, looking her in the eyes, her deep brown eyes, her brown chocolate eyes.

She could have drowned in his clear blue eyes, his secure yet sensitive eyes. Her tears had stopped running, but she couldn't move.

And so the long lost couple just stood there for several minutes, watching each other.

Until Akane finally broke free of the spell and hugged him.

"Thank you" she whispered.

Ranma smiled, but could not say a word, for he was in heaven.

Akane looked up to see his happy, frozen face and giggled giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Want to go for a walk?" Ranma asked, finally able to move a muscle again.

"Sure but what about the other girls?" Akane asked.

"Don't you worry about them" he said stretching out his arm uncomfortably.

Akane took his hand smiling all over, and so they walked through the forest together.

………………………………...

Meanwhile near the tents, two women were yelling at each other.

"Airen marry Shampoo" the blue-purplish haired girl yelled.

"As if. Why would he want to marry a hussy like you?" The long brown haired girl yelled.

"He no want to marry Ukyou" Shampoo yelled back.

"Well Ran-Chan and I are friends at least" Ukyou responded.

And so let us leave, while the girls do not notice us.

………………………………...

**A/N**: Yo I'm so sorry for the delay, I've just been soooo busy… got myself a new apartment. Wepeee! I'm moving out, and it's a great apartment too.

Anyhow, I hope you can forgive me.

Well for the next chapter I'm moving them out of the forest, so prepare for tha big tournament . heh.

Love all of my reviewers very much, thank you so much for all the response.

Tata


	7. Ranma and Akane engaged no more

A/N: Soooo sorry for the delay, but fluffy got sick and do you have any idea of how exhausting it is to take care of a fictional sick flying hedge hog, living on your own for the first time, having a boyfriend, and well trying to get a life all at the same time?

Ahem, disclaimer: I tried, I even had a big plan, but in the end Rumiko didn't believe that I was her long lost daughter Kamimura, guess I don't really look like an Asian. Maybe if I wore more makeup… hmm, tell you how my new plan worked out in another story I've been working on trying to get rid of my writers block.

If you're not sure if I own them or not, then you're pretty dumb (just teasing) I don't own the Ranma Nibun no Ichi (½) series.

**The days to come**

_Ranma and Akane, no longer engaged_

(Did I forget to tell you? I skipped the big tournament, just figured it had been so long, but don't worry they'll have flash backs, so you'll still sort of get to read it. Am I yapping? I'll shut up now. For real I'll shut up and get on with the story, I'm just so lonely watching my moms dogs 1,5 miles from the nearest city, where I don't know anybody, and it's like a 7 or 8 houses big city. Okay, okay I'll shut up, gees you don't have to yell)

Ranma kicked the nearest rock, well at least she had won it would have been a lot worse if Shampoo or even Kodachi had won.

Even though it was a bit strange not being engaged to Akane anymore, it was nice to finally be rid of all the interruptions, and he would just have to learn to love Ukyou, no one had really asked him and they all signed an agreement that the winner would get Ranma.

He could have said something back then and there, like 'I don't wanna be no price in your twisted little combat' or 'I love Akane, please I don't want you getting hurt on my behave' but of course he hadn't. So now he had to live with the consequences, and besides he would still get to talk to Akane, just not kiss her, or touch her.

Ranma shook his head, he really needed to straighten out his train of thoughts, this was the way things were, and he would just have to learn to live with it.

He looked up to see a long haired girl walking in the different direction of his own.

"Hi Akane" he said smiling.

She looked up rather sudden, as if she had been deep in thoughts and had just been interrupted by reality.

"Oh, Ranma hi" she said, acknowledging the boy but didn't exactly stop to chat.

"Hey" he said, as she passed him. "What's up with the attitude, don't you wanna stop and talk to an old friend for a sec?" He asked, following her.

"I don't have time" she said, in a zombie like tone of voice.

Ranma took a hold of her arm. "What is it that you absolute have to do, that makes you not have the time to talk to me?"

Akane turned around, and looked angrily at him. "Nothing, I just don't feel like rubbing dirt in an open wound" with that she yanked her arm free, and started walking again.

He looked sadly at her retreating body; he had hoped that if they ever met like this, completely unexpected, that she would suggest them eloping together.

Ranma hadn't really noticed how far she had gotten, until she was starting to look like a little moving dot.

He pulled out of his trance, and ran after her. "Kane, 'Kane wait up" he yelled, running right in her tracks.

Akane started crying as soon as she heard him call; it had been so long since anyone had called her 'Kane. She really missed him, hanging out in front of the TV all day, sparing out in the backyard, plainly it had just been very, very long since she had last seen him.

It had been that day of the tournament, he had wished her the best of luck, and then she had lost, not against Kodachi or Shampoo, who had no knowledge of her knew technique, Ukyou on the other hand had just learned in time to figure out a counterattack.

"Akane" Ranma's voice sounded, it was frightened and sort of a yell.

"Gees 'Kane don't shock me like that" he said "thought I had lost you there for a sec".

Now that was a funny sentence, to say right now, where he had in fact lost her, or well actually she had lost him, but the differ didn't really matter.

"You idiot" Akane said, drying her eyes, and started walking again.

Ranma looked dumbfounded, what had he done, and why was she mad at him?

"You're not getting away that easily" he told her, and grabbed her arm again holding it firmly.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked with a panicking tone of voice, trying to free her arm.

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know, I was once dragged to meet this girl who I was supposed to marry, and ever since then I haven't been able to get her out of my mind" he said smiling.

Akane shook her head. "Doesn't matter, you have to marry Ukyou, remember?" She asked, giving up on getting her arm free.

He nodded, smiling sadly. "What if I abducted you and we eloped together?" He asked remembering his own plan.

"I can't, I signed that paper that said that if I were ever to persuade marrying you I would have broken the law, and would be put to jail" Akane said, cursing herself for making Nabiki write that agreement, and for signing it herself.

"What if they never found us?" Ranma couldn't imagine himself with anyone but Akane, somehow they had to make it work they just had to.

Akane sighed, shaking her head again. "I would miss my family, my friends, the doctor, the school, the neighborhood, it just wouldn't work".

Ranma clenched his fist, something had to be done, if he absolutely had to marry someone, he definitely wanted it to be Akane, but how.

"You let your hair grow?" He said, trying to think of something else than his upcoming wedding with Ukyou.

She nodded.

He smiled sort of almost flirtatious. "You know I always liked it better short" he said, in a cheerful tone.

Akane had started walking again, and nodded. "I know" she said, again with the no emotion zombie like tone of voice.

Ranma sighed, his dream of eloping with the girl he loved all gone.

He then suddenly got an idea, as if he was hit by a lightening he ran in search of the one person he knew that could definitely help him.

………………………………………………………………………………..

Nabiki sat up, at the sudden knock on her door.

"Step into the office" she said.

Ranma opened the door, "hi Nabs" he said.

Nabiki smiled. "What can I do for you?" She asked the walking wallet that had just stepped into the room.

"Yes well you see" Ranma started, then explained the rest of what he wanted (which I won't tell you, call it a surprise).

Nabiki, nodded. "That should be doable, however it's gonna cost you quiet a few bocks"

"A 100.000 yen and my eternal gratitude is what I've got" he said, putting the money on the table.

"Well that's not nearly enough" she said.

Ranma sighed disappointed, however Nabiki then formed a big smile on her lips, a smile that had never been seen before, on Nabiki that is.

"But, if you promise to make my sister happy, it'll do" Nabiki said "I'm tired of her moping around, and besides I did make a lot more money with you in the house"

He smiled thankfully, and promised to at least try and make Akane happy.

………………………………………………………………………..

Akane looked at the invitation again. "Dear Miss Akane Tendo you are invited to join our special day, at our wedding. The best wishes Ukyou and Ranma" she shook her head, it would probably be the best if she didn't show up.

"So Akane are you ready for the wedding yet?" Nabiki asked, walking into Akane's room without knocking.

Akane who had been shocked, to say the least, at the sudden intruder had jumped up and was still in her defensive position; however she decided that it was about time to let her guards down and sat down again. "I'm not going" she told her sister, while she tried to look like she didn't care.

Nabiki wasn't blind, and could easily tell that Akane was sad. "You're really gonna have to stop doing that" Nabiki said referring to Akane's defensive position minutes earlier. "However Ranma really wanted you to come" Nabiki said, remembering the plan Ranma and her had made.

"Yeah well I don't wanna" Akane said, childish and stubborn as always.

Nabiki bit her lip, how was she supposed to get her younger sister to go if she really didn't want to? She sure as hell was tying her down and putting a dress on her.

"Come on, just for a little while?" Nabiki tried.

"No" Akane answered shortly,

"Please" Nabiki tried pleadingly.

"No" Akane continued down the one legged street, stubborn as she was.

"Pwetty pwease?" Nabiki pleaded.

"No" came the same answer.

Nabiki sighed, fished out a rope (don't you dare ask me where she got it from) tied up Akane and put her in a beautiful red dress.

Nabiki looked at her, finishing her master piece (making Akane more beautiful than she already was). "So are you coming on your own or not?" The bigger sister asked the younger sister.

Akane sighed, and nodded, she was dressed for a party and if this was the only party she was invited to so be it.

Nabiki smiled, she had actually done it, Ranma had done a pretty good job of picking out the dress, he even picked the right size, and how he had been able to know exactly what size to get Nabiki didn't want to know.

…………………………………………………………………

Ukyou looked at Ranma, and he looked at her, they nodded to one another, this was it.

They looked out the window to see all the guests arrive; Ranma nervously tried to spot his ex-fiancé.

………………………………………………………………….

Nabiki stopped, panting heavily; they had finally arrived, though it hadn't been easy dragging Akane to the wedding scenery. She went to sit down, close to the alter (Nabiki that is).

Akane however didn't move an inch, not even when Nabiki patted the seat next to her own for Akane to come sit on.

No, she wanted to stay way back. Way, way back incase she couldn't handle it and felt the need to run away.

The priest entered the scenery, and Akane closed her eyes, this was it, she had lost him for good, if only she had been a bit nicer to him when they were still engaged this could have been their wedding day.

She opened her eyes in time to see Ranma walk in, wearing a navy blue tux. Like the one he had worn that night they had gone out to eat, she wondered if he remembered. Akane had never told him, but she remembered everything they had talked about that night ever so clearly. However, she had not wanted to hear his answer when he asked about that one little question, if he ever wanted to marry her or not, and now she knew why.

She turned around; it was just too unbearable to watch. Why hadn't she figured this out sooner? Things could have been different, if only she had known that she was madly deeply in love with him.

"Akane" she looked up, as someone yelled her name, actually almost screamed her name, and spun around to see that everybody was watching her, she froze solid feeling a bit too much in focus.

Ranma took a deep breath and started walking towards her, wishing that all the murmur would stop, that all the ooh's and aaw's would disappear, so that he could think clearly for just this once in his life.

He looked at Nabiki, who smiled tenderly which was rarely if ever seen on the middle Tendo.

"Break a leg" she told him, and he was about to wonder why she said that when he finally reached his ex-fiancé.

Ranma took another deep breath, wishing more than ever to be deaf just for the next couple of minutes so that he could calm his thoughts.

Akane blinked, just having awoken from her frozen state to see Ranma standing right in front of her.

Her heart must have skipped a beat, when he went down on one knee.

"Akane, I never knew what love meant until just about 2½ years ago, when I was dragged to meet my future wife. I guess I knew from the very first moment that you looked at me, and asked me to be your friend. You have become my best friend, well when you're not yelling or hurting me"

Everybody laughed and Ranma once again wished to be deafened, just so that they could have the moment alone. Ranma bit his lips hoping not to screw it up, by saying or doing something stupid.

Akane had never felt more confused, wasn't he supposed to be marrying Ukyou at the moment?

Ranma finally opened his mouth to speak again, without the slightest clue of what he was about to say he took on where he left off minutes earlier.

"I enjoy seeing you angry sometimes" Ranma cursed silently, and wanted to slap himself. Oh Kami why, why did he always say something stupid. "I like seeing you angry, because then I know that you're alive" 'saved', he just managed to think, and then went back to his speech.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is" Ranma rustled his jacket for a minute searching for something; he finally found it took in another long breath. "Akane, 'Kane, you're not only my best friend, you are also the girl that I love, will you do me the honors of becoming my bride?"

Akane's mind went blank, had he really just asked her if she…? Tears started falling from her eyes to everyone's surprise.

Akane couldn't stop crying, he had made her cry again, what he didn't know was that this time she wasn't crying unhappy tears, this time it was tears of relieve.

She dried her eyes, and took a look at the heart shaped blood red diamond on a golden ring that he was holding out towards her.

Akane knew that he couldn't possible afford such an expensive ring himself, and she looked at Nabiki who silently winked at her.

Ranma's leg was getting numb, and if his heart didn't start beating pretty soon he was going to die.

"Uh 'Kane?" He asked.

She looked at him, what did he want now? She was still trying to gather her thoughts, on what to say.

"So… do you?" He asked, worrying that he might collapse if she didn't say something soon.

Akane was in a completely different world, a world where she had wings and was dangling 10 feet above ground.

"Look lady if you don't answer soon I'll marry him" a woman said standing up from somewhere between all the guests.

This didn't help Akane very much, as another one stood up, then a third, then a fourth.

Akane turned to look at Ranma who looked as if he was about to die, went down so that their faces were about the same height, and kissed him.

Now everybody started applauding, just as they would have in a typical teenage romance-comedy movie, but the couple didn't here any of the applause. Ranma had finally gotten his wish, and not only was he deafened, Akane couldn't here anything either.

Ranma pulled her up, and held her tight wanting this moment to last forever.

Then he remembered that he hadn't really received an answer to his question.

He let her go, and looked at the ring still in his hand, "was that a yes?" He asked.

She laughed and jumped into his arms again "yes, of course I will marry you. I love you too, very much indeed, you dolt"

Ranma would have been offended by her insult, but he didn't pay much attention too it as he placed the ring on her finger, and then he lifted her above the ground and spun her around.

This had to be the happiest moment in his life, even happier than their first kiss. She loved him; she had finally said that that she loved him.

Akane was in complete bliss too, ooh life could be so glorious sometimes.

Then she noticed that he was pretty much staring at her bosom.

"I knew that dress would look good on you" he said, with a large grin on his face.

"You pervert" she responded, smacking him on the head and walked away.

However Ranma only crooked his head to the site admiring her behind as well. "I definitely picked out the right dress" he thought grinning.

Akane tried her very best to look insulted, though it is not that easy to look mad when you're jumping from joy on the inside.

She smiled at Nabiki as she walked by, and whispered a silent "thank you" to her sister.

Nabiki nodded, and smiled she liked to see her sister so happy, and she would definitely get all the money that she had spent on the ring out of her knew brother in law.

Ukyou smiled, oh well; at least she still had that handsome waiter of hers, if only he'd stop cross-dressing.

And so they all lived happily ever after, maybe.

_The end_

**A/N: I finally did it, I finally ended this story, and a pretty cute ending I'd say.**

**So how'd you like it? Brought the story down to earth again, nicely done eh?**

**Fluffy's all better, don't you worry about him, he squeaks to all the readers out there who are planning not to review, just saying hi, nothing to worry about… heh.**

**See you in another story maybe.**


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